Malaysia Playing It Safe with South China Sea
Malaysia, as the Asean Chairman, will push forward the drafting of a code of conduct (CoC) with China to settle the territorial maritime dispute in South China Sea.
Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin said this was in line with the nation's position as chairman of Asean this year, which was accepted amid tensions in the South China Sea.
"Malaysia has played a role in hosting the Asean foreign ministers' territorial meeting in Sabah in January. An extensive discussion on the establishment of a CoC was held in the presence of China's Foreign Affairs Minister.
Malaysia, it is said, is after all not only a founding member of ASEAN but a claimant state in the South China Sea disputes that also has a good relationship with China.
"As ASEAN Chair, we will try and address all these demands in a prudent manner," he said. "Insha'Allah (God willing), the issue will be handled well," he added.
According to a report for the Center for New American Security, Malaysia’s position might be better summed up as ‘playing it safe,’ particularly under the current administration of Prime Minister Najib Razak.
That is, Malaysia is pursuing a combination of diplomatic, economic, legal, and security initiatives to secure its interests as a claimant state while also being careful not to disrupt its bilateral relationship with China.
Malaysia took over the ASEAN chairmanship from Myanmar at the beginning of this year and will host the 26th ASEAN summit this 26th and 27th of April at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.