Kuala Lumpur, 3 April 2023 (GNP): Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that Malaysia is willing to hold discussions with China regarding their disagreement in the South China Sea, according to Bernama, the state news agency.
During a recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in China, Anwar discussed a dispute related to energy exploration projects in a certain area of the South China Sea. Anwar spoke about this at an address on Monday at the Prime Minister’s department, according to a report by Bernama. However, Bernama did not provide further details regarding the specific area or dispute that Anwar mentioned.
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During his speech on Monday, Anwar stated that he informed the China that Malaysia, being a small country dependent on oil and gas resources, will continue with its projects. However, if negotiations are required to safeguard Malaysian interests, Malaysia is prepared to engage in negotiations.
According to a recent report by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, a Chinese coast guard vessel was observed operating near the Petronas gas platform for the past month and came as close as 2.4 kilometers to the project. Additionally, a Malaysian navy ship was present in the same vicinity.
On Monday, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, stated that China did not have knowledge about the particular event. However, he added that the coast guard operated within the limits of China’s jurisdiction and their behavior was impeccable.
China asserts ownership of nearly the entire South China Sea, which is a crucial waterway for around $3 trillion in seaborne trade annually. While Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam also have some overlapping claims in the region.
