Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated on Monday that Beijing has been assured that Malaysia’s trade deal with the U.S. will not hinder its cooperation with China.
Anwar stated that Malaysia had offered clarifications to Beijing about the trade agreement signed with the United States during the recent 47th ASEAN Summit.
He added that he conveyed the same message to Chinese Premier Li Qiang, assuring him that the deal contains ‘nothing’ that would hinder Malaysia’s ongoing bilateral cooperation with China.
“They wanted some clarification, and we have provided it. I don’t think we should make a big deal out of this. China remains a very important trading partner,” Anwar said.
Beijing recently filed formal complaints against Malaysia and Cambodia, criticizing the new trade agreements both countries signed with the United States last month.
A government statement noted that Chinese Ministry of Commerce officials informed their Malaysian counterparts that China holds ‘grave concerns’ about certain aspects of the deal.
China’s main concerns center on provisions in the agreement that compel Malaysia to align with Washington on sensitive national security matters.
On October 26, Malaysia signed the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART), a bilateral trade pact with the United States.
The agreements require Malaysia to adhere to U.S. trade restrictions, export controls, and sanctions related to sensitive technologies.
The deal also requires Malaysia to prevent its companies from assisting other countries in bypassing these measures and to strengthen defense trade cooperation with the U.S.
The agreements were among several pacts signed during Trump’s recent Asian tour, which also involved Vietnam and Thailand.
In return for its security pledges, Malaysia will gain preferential access for its goods and services, including exemptions from Trump’s 19% reciprocal tariffs on certain items.
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