Malaysia has reiterated its call for wisdom and restraint in managing tensions in the South China Sea, while also welcoming stronger economic and strategic ties between ASEAN and China during the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with China held in Kuala Lumpur.
Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan, in his opening remarks, welcomed Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and reaffirmed the strength of ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, calling it “one of ASEAN’s most substantive and dynamic partnerships, built on mutual trust, shared interests and economic interdependence.”
“In view of growing global uncertainty, the challenges we face must strengthen our shared commitment to a peaceful, stable and prosperous region,” Malaysia noted.
The country emphasized that global peace is “becoming more fragile by the day” and urged all sides to increase efforts to maintain regional stability.
ASEAN must act prudently to ensure that “geopolitical tensions do not escalate or jeopardize security and global trade in the South China Sea,” it added.
Malaysia reaffirmed ASEAN’s call for “all parties to manage the situation in the South China Sea with wisdom and prudence,” and welcomed ongoing progress in negotiations for a Code of Conduct (COC).
“We are confident that with full commitment from all parties, an effective and substantive COC can be achieved in the near future,” it said.
On security, Malaysia expressed concern over growing distrust in non-proliferation regimes and the rise of nuclear rhetoric. It praised China’s readiness to be the first Nuclear Weapon State to sign and ratify the SEANWFZ Protocol as “a major step forward” toward a nuclear-weapon-free Southeast Asia.
Economically, Malaysia praised enduring ASEAN-China trade, noting that both sides have remained each other’s largest trading partners for four consecutive years, with total trade reaching USD770.94 billion in 2024 — up 10.61% from the previous year.
However, Malaysia also warned that the rules-based global trading system is under threat, and welcomed the upcoming ASEAN-China Free Trade Area 3.0 agreement as a timely effort to strengthen regional resilience and cooperation.
As the Country Coordinator for ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, Malaysia pledged to work closely with all ASEAN Member States and China to advance the partnership for mutual benefit.
