DEALING WITH A RISING CHINA

Malaysia must strive to reinforce the equidistance between the US and China that has been the hallmark of our foreign policy

THERE has been obvious concern, not least among the pragmatic lot in the business community, that Malaysia is perilously courting disaster in the way relations with China, the rising superpower and one right at our doorstep (literally speaking, since Chinese coastguard vessels are within sight of the shores off Miri in Sarawak), are currently being handled.

This is the most unfortunate legacy arising from the 1MDB scandal whose worldwide ramifications are still unfolding before our very eyes.

Huge questions remain unanswered over the several multi-billion-ringgit infrastructure projects the previous national government signed with the Chinese parties.

In all fairness to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, he had stressed while on his maiden trip to China since re-assuming office that his government’s cancellations of these projects reflected much more poorly on governance issues within Malaysia rather than China’s hand in the projects.

In drawing such a line, Dr Mahathir quite astutely sought to project a commonality that the new Malaysia he now leads and China are both victims of circumstances beyond the control of either of them.

China appears to have accepted such a line and has gone on to officially view the cancellation of the projects (vital links in the country’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative) with surprising equanimity.

But latest media revelations purportedly showing China offering to use its considerable influence to quash international investigations into 1MDB-related matters (presumably as a sweetener for our previous government to approve the now cancelled projects) may again shine a rather uncomfortable spotlight on the whole matter.

If confirmed (given that the source is the The Wall Street Journal whose earlier revelations over 1MDB- related matters have since been shown to be credible), the latest bombshell will raise even more questions over the whole sordid scandal and the lengths those involved were prepared to go to make it all go away.

Above all, China will be shown in a most unflattering light that reinforces growing international suspicions about how truly benign its remarkable rise and growing global reach, particularly in the economic sphere, has been and will be, going forward.

For Malaysia, sitting bestride a most strategic cross-roads between a rising East and an increasingly anxious West, this only highlights the huge opportunities as well as the inherent risks involved.

Political stability over the past 60 years afforded us a certain policy clarity and certainty which allowed us to reap the opportunities while navigating the risks with some aplomb.

We must now hope that in the face of strategic risks and uncertainty internationally and new and unaccustomed political risk factors at home, we will continue to be lucky.

Difficult though it will increasingly be, we must strive to reinforce the equidistance between the United States and China that has till now been the hallmark of our foreign policy.

We need to show in words and deeds that we take our political independence and freedom of policy actions seriously.

If major powers are seen to be taking action which undermines our treasured independence and best national interests, Malaysia and Malaysians must stand united in calling out such action and reserve the right to take necessary steps to counteract it.

We expect our legitimate rights and national prerogatives and interests to be respected by the major powers just as we respect the same rights and interests of these powers and indeed all other nations in our multilateral and bilateral interactions.

In the jostling by major powers for their own interests and advantage, we will need to watch against being caught out and therefore having our own interests and advantage compromised.

China offers a distinctly opposing foreign-policy model to the American one in that China abjures interference in the internal affairs of other countries that it deals with.

Such a non-interventionist stance may be interpreted as “respect” for other nations and the different ways they govern themselves.

But such respect cannot mean foreign governments condoning acts which may be in contravention of local and foreign laws in their dealings with our government.

A rising and powerful China may increasingly be drawn into such foreign-policy dilemmas and conundrums.

The sooner it realises that it cannot have its cake and eat it in its foreign dealings, the better it will be for all concerned.

Relations between countries are best predicated on each country’s national interests but there is no clearer interest than respect for laws of each country.

Not doing so undermines friendly relations.

China must realise this or other nations will justifiably treat it with caution.