Aukus fallout: Malaysia plans China consultations as anxiety simmers over defence pact

Defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein also urged Australia to hold discussions about the trilateral agreement across Southeast Asia to allay concerns about it

Elder statesman Mahathir Mohamad, meanwhile, says the defence partnership has escalated the risk of armed conflict in the region

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Malaysia’s foreign minister Hishammuddin Hussein (left) with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in April. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 8:16pm, 22 Sep 2021Updated: 9:59pm, 22 Sep 2021

Malaysia’s defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein on Wednesday said he planned to visit China soon to hold consultations with counterparts there about the Aukus defence pact.

The out-of-the-blue plan for a visit signalled anxiety in Kuala Lumpur and across Southeast Asia that the trilateral agreement between Australia, the United States, and Britain could intensify the US-China rivalry and worsen regional security, an analyst said.

Malaysia, like other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), has strong economic ties with China, and has sought not to be pulled into the tussle for regional dominance between the two superpowers.

Responding to a parliamentary question, Hishammuddin said he planned to undertake a “short working trip” to China to “get the views of their leadership, particularly their defence, on what their views are on Aukus, and what could be their action”.

The minister was responding to a question by former defence minister Mohamad Sabu – who is now part of the opposition bloc – on whether Malaysia would play a role in Aukus given its long-standing strategic ties with Canberra and London under the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA).

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