Foreign Ministers of China and Malaysia agree over South China Sea

The Foreign Minister of Malaysia said the country has come together with China in agreement that peace and stability must be maintained in the South China Sea, an often-contested area that has caused international clashes. Yesterday the Minister held a joint press conference with the Foreign Minister and State Councillor where they agreed that debate over the South China Sea was only a small hiccup in the bilateral relations between the two countries who have much deeper connections and partnerships.

The two officials held the press conference after co-hosting the newly created Malaysia-China High-Level Committee on Cooperation in the post-Covid-19 era. The first meeting, held yesterday, was hosted through an online video link with pertinent agencies gathering in Putrajaya in Malaysia and Beijing in China.

The Malaysian Foreign Minister was in China for the meeting though, as part of a 2-day visit on Friday and Saturday where he met with his Chinese counterpart and reasserted the friendly relationship between the two countries despite tensions between key country players over the South China Sea.

The Malay Minister said that his country was paying close attention to the developments between China and the US, as the 2 countries have seen relations strained with China lashing out at the US after the Biden Administration left China off the guest list of their Summit for Democracy while simultaneously stoking Chinese ire by including Taiwan.

Despite growing stress in international relations, the Malaysian Foreign Minister suggested greater peace and harmony can be sustainable in the region and called for countries to peacefully coexist, thanking China for their participation.

“We have been agreeable on the ways (on) how we solved issues; and as a member of Asean, we appreciate the fact that China is also working with us on the conclusion of the Code of Conduct.”

SOURCE: Asian News Today