Malaysia can't afford to be seen leaning towards any power
MALAYSIA must remain visibly neutral in navigating strategic ties with both the United States and China, given its position as a trade-dependent nation.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (picture) said the country's foreign policy must be carefully managed to avoid perceptions of alignment with any major power.
'We are very well-balanced. We are a trading nation. Our economy is based on trade and we can't afford to be seen as leaning towards anybody,' he said at a press conference during the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and Related Meetings at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on Friday.
Mohamad said the US remains Malaysia's largest investor, while China has long been the country's top trading partner.
'So we have to navigate our and ASEAN's foreign policy, so as not to be seen as leaning towards anybody,' he said.
Mohamad added that ASEAN must also continue projecting itself as a neutral bloc to maintain regional stability.
'We are a zone of peace and neutrality. So we balance it properly,' he said.
The US is Malaysia's second-largest trading partner, particularly in the electrical and electronics (E&E) sector.
About 60% of Malaysia's exports to the US are E&E products, and approximately half of that comprise semiconductors.
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