China unlikely to risk hurting ties with Malaysia over missing flight MH370

The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight 370 prompted Chinese citizens to pressure their government to react harshly to Malaysia's perceived incompetence. Kuala Lumpur's lack of transparency on the subject and Beijing's sensitivity to domestic populism led Chinese government officials to publicly rebuke Malaysian authorities.

Yet China is likely to remain cautious about taking action that could jeopardise its relations with Malaysia, given the country's increasingly pivotal role in shaping China's influence in the region.

China has a history of encouraging its citizens to rise up against foreign powers when wrongs have been committed against Chinese people or property. The most illustrative example in recent history was the mistaken bombing by the US of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in 1999. Protests erupted across China, culminating in attacks on the US embassy in Beijing by citizens armed with rocks. To date, no such attack has been waged against the Malaysian embassy - only peaceful protests.

At least part of the reason is that although Malaysia is among the Asian states that dispute China's territorial claims in the South China Sea, the government has been much more muted in its criticism of China's perceived maritime aggression than its counterparts in Hanoi, Manila or Tokyo.

And while Japan and the Philippines have in recent years strengthened defence ties with the US to counter China's perceived threat, Malaysia has instead strengthened its military partnership with China. Last October, Beijing and Kuala Lumpur agreed to hold their first ever joint military drills.

China and Malaysia have a unique relationship rooted in historic ties, economic relationships, and ethnic/cultural bonds. The two governments established diplomatic relations in 1974, making Malaysia the first Southeast Asian country to officially recognise China.

Malaysia's decision to reach out to an isolated China during the Mao era remains significant in defining the nature of bilateral relations today, with 2014 marking the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The Malaysian prime minister who established them was Abdul Razak Hussein - the late father of the current prime minister. Malaysia was a friend when China needed one and Beijing has not forgotten this.