By Tunji Uyghur
April 1, 2023
On April 1st, Chinese Premier Li Qiang held talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar, who was on an official visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, according to Chinese official media Xinhua.
Li Qiang said that Asia is our common home, and win-win cooperation is the only correct choice. China is willing to actively promote the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 negotiations with Malaysia and other ASEAN countries, jointly implement the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, and continuously promote the construction of the East Asian Economic Community.
Anwar said that China is a great friend of Malaysia. Not only has it achieved great economic success, but we are also deeply moved by the kindness and sincerity shown to neighboring countries. Malaysia and China share a common destiny. All circles in Malaysia are committed to strengthening friendship with China. The new Malaysian government regards the development of Malaysia-China relations as a priority. Malaysia firmly adheres to the one-China policy and believes that Xinjiang-related issues are China’s internal affairs. The Malaysian side supports the global development initiatives, global security initiatives, and global civilization initiatives proposed by China, and is willing to deepen cooperation with China in the joint construction of the “Belt and Road”, promote cooperation in the fields of automobiles, energy, cultural tourism, agriculture, and digital economy, and promote personnel exchanges between the two sides , learn from China’s successful experience in poverty reduction, and promote the further development of Malaysia-China relations. ASEAN countries are willing to deepen dialogue and cooperation with China to jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.
The timing of the visit indicated that the nature of the visit is not a regular diplomatic event.
Xijinping, who recently secured his third term as head of the Chinese state, has ramped up his diplomatic ambitions worldwide. His goal is to cement and amplify Chinese soft power and diplomatic influence in Asia and across the globe. In October 2022, a motion to debate allegations of human rights abuses against the Uyghurs was defeated by just two votes (19 against, 17 in favor and 11 abstentions). Malaysia, a Muslim country, abstained from voting on the motion.”
Tahir Imin Uyghurian, a Uyghur scholar and founder of Uyghur Times, commented on this as follows: “Malaysia can lay claim to being the center of the world’s global Islamic economy and has strong influence in Muslim affairs globally. Its endorsement of the Chinese genocide of Uyghurs emboldens the Chinese leadership to continue inhumane and anti-Islam policies in Uyghuristan and sends the wrong signal to other Muslim countries that there is nothing wrong with supporting the Chinese genocide of Uyghurs because Muslim countries like Malaysia and others support China on that.