November 17, 2023
KUALA LUMPUR – Countries like Malaysia, and Asean at large, should not be forced to see the world and big powers in a Cold War mindset, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said post-normal times were more chaotic and complex, which required countries big or small to be able to come together and collaborate.
This, said Anwar, was the reason why the meeting between US President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit was critical.
“It should give a clear message that we are able to work together and trust each other to resolve serious problems such as climate change,” he said during a question-and-answer session at the 30th Apec CEO Summit titled The Global Economy and State of the World here on Wednesday, Bernama reported.
Citing the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, Anwar said there were too many contentious issues at hand, and engagement was the best way forward.
“You must try and engage, accepting the fact that you may not achieve all the desired results, but this engagement is important to try and establish areas that do work,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister reiterated that both the United States and China were equally important to Malaysia.
“The United States has been a traditional ally and a major investor in Malaysia, but things are changing; there has been an increase in trade and investment from China,” he said.
“So, why then put us in a fix, in a zero-sum game? For the benefit of (our) countries, emerging economies, and also for the West and the East, I believe the solution is, of course, greater collaboration.”
Anwar arrived here on Monday for the 30th Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM) from Nov 14-17, marking his maiden visit for the official meeting as Prime Minister of Malaysia.