The discussion around a potential war in the Taiwan Strait has attracted global attention. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar stated that he does not take a pessimistic view on this issue; on the contrary, he believes that the leaders of both China and the United States also want to avoid war.
He said that from his multiple interactions with Chinese President Xi Jinping, he has learned that Xi has always been very determined to avoid taking any form of violent action or attack against any country.
Earlier, during Anwar's visit to France, he was a guest on France 24's interview program "Face to Face," hosted by Perelman. When asked how worried he is about the possibility of a US-China war over Taiwan, this was his response.
The host mentioned that, like many other countries, Anwar and China have established good relations, but there have been some disputes in the South China Sea. Some countries like the Philippines have expressed themselves more strongly. Does his non-aggressive stance mean he is prepared to make territorial concessions to China? Or is he taking another approach?
Anwar explained that Southeast Asian countries all face border issues, but this does not affect their relationships. Suddenly singling out China raises the question of why China should be treated differently.
He said, as he mentioned in his speech, Malaysia is a maritime nation and has border issues with all its neighbors, including Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei, and Vietnam, but none of these have led to war.
"These issues have not adversely affected our relationships. In fact, our relations are very good. We have some small differences on certain matters, but we strive to resolve them in a friendly manner.
"So I question, why should China be an exception? We all have these issues, but suddenly China is singled out—yet we have not encountered any serious problems."
He said ASEAN as a whole maintains a common stance and has called for member states and China to reach consensus on a code of conduct.
When asked whether this will be achieved, Anwar expressed optimism, noting that China has said in Jakarta, Indonesia, that it will consider the matter and that it supports this position, so all countries will continue to advance on this basis.
Regarding his meeting with Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing in Bangkok this April, Anwar emphasized that the meeting was conducted under ASEAN's mandate.
He pointed out that this was the first meeting between the rotating ASEAN chair and Myanmar's military leader since the 2021 Myanmar coup, with the aim of securing a ceasefire and promoting humanitarian aid after a severe earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28.
He said that this matter has been discussed with all ASEAN country leaders and none expressed opposition.
"I was there with ASEAN's authorization. The first goal was to strive for a ceasefire. Of course, there may be one or two sporadic clashes, but overall a consensus was reached.
"The second goal is humanitarian assistance, which must be transparent and non-discriminatory. We dispatched field hospitals operated by the Malaysian military to serve people in various regions of Myanmar."