On December 17, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is visiting Japan, was interviewed by Japan's "Asahi Shimbun" and talked about his country's "Look East" policy, saying that Malaysia is now not only looking at Japan and South Korea, but also China is included. He mentioned that during his recent visit to the United States, he was asked "why Malaysia is turning to China", to which he replied, "because China invests more".
In the interview, Anwar expressed the idea that China is also included in the "Look East" policy, saying that "any policy needs to be reconsidered".
In the past, he said, Malaysia has always regarded Japan and South Korea as models of economic modernization, and in the 80s began to advocate a "look east" policy of learning Xi from Japan and South Korea, and that "the good parts of the policy will continue" but "we need to expand it".
Anwar said the current state of the world in terms of digital technology and cybersecurity is "not the same as it used to be". "I wouldn't say that the 'East' in policy refers only to Japan and South Korea, not to China," he said. Now when we say 'look east', China is included in the 'east'. ”
Anwar stressed that Malaysia pursues an independent "all-encompassing foreign policy". He mentioned that when he visited the United States, he was asked, "Why is Malaysia turning to China", to which he replied, "because China invests more". He also said that Malaysia would resolve issues of disagreement with China through negotiations.
Anwar was interviewed, picture from Japan's "Asahi Shimbun"
According to Malaysia's "Star" newspaper, from November 13 to 17, Anwar went to San Francisco, the United States, to attend a series of diplomatic activities at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. During this time, Anwar attended a symposium at the University of California, Berkeley.
In response to questions from the audience, Anwar said that Malaysia is not inclined towards China, but it is geographically closer to China, and China is a reliable friend and ally, and the United States is equally important, a traditional ally of Malaysia and a major investor in helping to promote Malaysia's economic development.
"Cumulatively, the U.S. ranks first in our total investment, but China is increasingly becoming one of the major investors, who are likely to invest in Malaysia," Anwar then noted, adding, "China is our neighbor, an important country that has matured in terms of economic dynamism, and we will benefit greatly if we continue to engage with China."
According to the Malaysian News Agency and the Malay Mail, Anwar's visit to Japan coincides with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of friendly relations between ASEAN and Japan. During his visit, Anwar met with Japanese dignitaries such as Fumio Kishida and the Emperor, and attended the 50th anniversary summit with other ASEAN leaders.
On December 17, ASEAN leaders and the Prime Minister of Japan attended the 50th Anniversary Summit held in Tokyo, Japan, and signed the ASEAN-Japan Joint Vision Statement on Friendship and Cooperation and the Vision Implementation Plan. ASEAN and Japan pledged to vigorously advance economic cooperation, including supporting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to innovate, as well as strengthening supply chain resilience and digital connectivity to achieve regional prosperity, inclusiveness, and sustainable development.
Anwar meets with Fumio Kishida and attends the ASEAN-Japan 50th Anniversary Summit, pictured on Anwar's Twitter
At a press conference on the 18th, Anwar said that his visit was "successful and proud", during which he secured more than RM6.5 billion (about 9.9 billion yuan) of potential investment in renewable energy, electronics and electrical, chemical and digital economy.
It is worth mentioning that Anwar also gave an interview to the Japanese media "Nikkei Asia" during his visit to Japan. Anwar reiterated that Malaysia must maintain good relations with China and will not "choose sides" between China and the United States. He also referred to the current round of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, criticizing the "hypocrisy" of certain "self-proclaimed democracy and human rights countries" in dealing with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Source: Observer.com