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Opinion | Malaysia’s ‘quiet diplomacy’ and expanded defence ties show it’s no pushover in the South China Sea
- Despite years of criticising the West while building warm ties with China, Malaysia looks to be hedging its bets and resisting Beijing’s growing footprint
- Displays of deft diplomacy and deepened defence ties with external powers have helped it carve out space to uphold its interests in the region
Reading Time:3 minutes
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“To subdue the enemy without fighting is the peak of skill,” wrote ancient Chinese strategist Sun Tzu, emphasising diplomatic subterfuge over confrontation. The same logic arguably underpins Malaysia’s foreign policy towards China, specifically in the context of territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
Unlike neighbouring Vietnam and the Philippines, Malaysia has generally shunned confrontational rhetoric towards China. It has also largely avoided any overt strategic alignment with the US. If anything, Malaysia was one of the most vocal critics of the Aukus alliance and nuclear submarine deal amid concerns over rising regional tensions.
On closer examination, however, it is increasingly clear Malaysia is actually carefully hedging its bets and quietly resisting China’s expanding strategic footprint.
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In recent years, Malaysia has stepped up its energy exploration and maritime patrols in Chinese-claimed waters of the South China Sea, rolled back its dependence on Chinese capital and technology and subtly leveraged international law as well as blossoming relations with external powers to bolster its interests.
For decades, Malaysia welcomed the rise of China as an antidote to what it perceived as Western neo-imperialism in Southeast Asia. Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad went so far as to accuse “those who migrated and set up new nations in America, Australia and New Zealand” of wanting “to control the world again”.
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China is now the top trading partner and source of investment for many neighbours. Malaysia, under former prime minister Najib Razak, became a leading beneficiary of Chinese economic largesse, including big-ticket infrastructure investment deals as part of the Belt and Road Initiative.
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