Latest news with #MalayaUniversity
Observer
16-04-2025
- Business
- Observer
China's Xi meets Malaysian leaders, vows to 'safeguard' Asia allies
KUALA LUMPUR: President Xi Jinping on Wednesday urged greater cooperation with Malaysia in the face of "shocks to the global order", during the Chinese leader's regional tour against the backdrop of a US trade war. "China and Malaysia will stand with countries in the region to combat the undercurrent of geopolitical and camp-based confrontation, as well as the counter currents of unilateralism and protectionism," he said. "And together, we will safeguard the bright prospects of our Asian family," Xi added during a speech in Malaysia's administrative capital Putrajaya. Xi embarked this week on a Southeast Asia tour that has already taken him to Vietnam and will also include Cambodia, with Beijing trying to position itself as a stable alternative to US President Donald Trump's punitive tariff regime. Malaysia premier Anwar Ibrahim said China has been "a rational, strong and reliable partner" amid the tariff turbulence. His nation will "remain an unwavering and principled friend to China", Anwar said as he hosted Xi for dinner at his official residence. Xi was welcomed to Malaysia by the country's king, Sultan Ibrahim, in a colourful ceremony at the golden-domed palace. He later held talks with Anwar and witnessed the exchange of 31 cooperation agreements on sectors including emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, media and tourism. "It's not just about friendship, it's about realigning the regional centre of gravity towards Beijing," said Khoo Ying Hooi from Malaya University. The visit was a calculated move to "test the waters for regional solidarity at a time when US trade measures are disrupting global markets", said Khoo, an associate professor in the Department of International and Strategic Studies. Malaysia is this year's chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) regional bloc, whose members have been among the hardest hit by US tariffs. Asean member Vietnam, a manufacturing powerhouse, was slapped with 46 per cent tariffs and Cambodia — a major producer of low-cost clothing for big Western brands — was hit with a 49 per cent duty. The levies have been paused for 90 days but Trump has said no country is "off the hook". "Regionally, Xi is likely to frame China as a partner in stability and development, not a hegemon," Khoo said. "At the same time, his message carries an implicit warning, that is: don't let Washington's tariffs or alliances undermine Asia's own regional cohesion," she said. Oh Ei Sun, from the Pacific Research Centre of Malaysia think tank, said Xi's visit is like "a group of friends huddling together for warmth against harsh weather". China and Malaysia celebrated their 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations last year and enjoy robust trade ties, although Malaysia claims parts of the South China Sea over which Beijing has staked out near-blanket sovereignty. — AFP
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
China's Xi hails ‘new golden era' with Malaysia during trade tour
Chinese President Xi Jinping has met Malaysia's King Sultan Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur as part of a regional push to shore up Beijing's trade relationships. The diplomatic stop on Wednesday marks the second leg of Xi's three-nation tour, which also includes Vietnam and Cambodia, and comes amid sharp tariffs imposed by the United States that are reshaping the global economic landscape. Sultan Ibrahim welcomed Xi in a colourful ceremony at the golden-domed Istana Negara palace before his meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the administrative capital of Putrajaya. Xi touted a 'new golden era' of Chinese-Malaysian relations, following the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties last year. The king announced new cooperation between the countries in various fields, including artificial intelligence. 'This is a hugely significant visit,' said Al Jazeera's Rob McBride, reporting from Putrajaya. 'It takes place during this unprecedented trade war that is developing with the United States, with both Malaysia and China finding themselves in the middle.' Khoo Ying Hooi, an associate professor in the department of international and strategic studies at Malaya University, said the visit offered a chance to 'test the waters for regional solidarity' amid the US trade disruptions. 'It's not just about friendship, it's about realigning the regional centre of gravity towards Beijing,' she said. Malaysia is the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc, whose members are among the hardest hit by new US tariffs. ASEAN member Vietnam, a manufacturing powerhouse, was slapped with 46 percent tariffs, and Cambodia, a significant producer of low-cost clothing for big Western brands, was hit with a 49 percent duty. Malaysia, Southeast Asia's third-largest economy, was hit with a lower tariff of 24 percent. Though the measures have been paused for 90 days, President Donald Trump has warned that no country is 'off the hook'. McBride said Malaysia, a longstanding US ally, was likely 'genuinely alarmed to find itself on this list of reciprocal tariffs' and saw it as 'a wake-up call … to deepen ties with its biggest trading partner', China. Despite robust economic ties, the two countries have had tensions over the South China Sea, where Beijing claims sweeping sovereignty over waters also claimed by Kuala Lumpur. 'There has been an extraordinary sea change here, with a lot of the norms of international trade completely upended in a few short months,' McBride said. In Asia Pacific generally, he added, countries that usually align with the US economic model are increasingly turning to Beijing as a reliable trade partner. Xi's next trip will be to Cambodia, one of China's staunchest allies in Southeast Asia and where Beijing has also extended its influence in recent years. On Thursday, he is expected to meet Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni as well as the prime minister and head of the senate.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
China's Xi meets Malaysian leaders in diplomatic charm offensive
Chinese President Xi Jinping met Malaysia's king on Wednesday in a state visit analysts said was aimed at burnishing Beijing's credentials as a reliable partner and "not a hegemon". Xi embarked this week on a Southeast Asia tour that has already taken him to Vietnam and will also include Cambodia, with Beijing trying to position itself as a stable alternative to US President Donald Trump's punitive tariff regime. Xi was welcomed by Malaysia's king, Sultan Ibrahim, in a colourful ceremony at the golden-domed palace on Wednesday. The Chinese leader walked on a red carpet as he inspected an honour guard on the sprawling palace grounds as a Malaysian royal band played. After an audience and lunch with the king, Xi met Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the administrative capital of Putrajaya outside Kuala Lumpur to discuss bilateral cooperation and other regional matters. They witnessed the exchange of a range of agreements to cooperate on sectors such as emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, media, film and tourism. Anwar will host Xi for dinner at his official residence in Putrajaya later on Wednesday. "It's not just about friendship, it's about realigning the regional centre of gravity towards Beijing," said Khoo Ying Hooi, an associate professor in the Department of International and Strategic Studies at Malaya University. She told AFP that the visit was a calculated move to "test the waters for regional solidarity at a time when US trade measures are disrupting global markets". Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional bloc have been among the hardest hit by the US tariffs, which risked alienating even Washington's friends and allies. Malaysia is this year's ASEAN chair. - 'Implicit warning' - ASEAN member Vietnam, a manufacturing powerhouse, was slapped with 46 percent tariffs and Cambodia -- a major producer of low-cost clothing for big Western brands -- was hit with a 49 percent duty. Malaysia, Southeast Asia's third-largest economy, was hit with a 24 percent tariff. The tariffs have been paused for 90 days but Trump has said no country is "off the hook". "Regionally, Xi is likely to frame China as a partner in stability and development, not a hegemon," Khoo said. "At the same time, his message carries an implicit warning, that is: don't let Washington's tariffs or alliances undermine Asia's own regional cohesion," she said. Oh Ei Sun from the Pacific Research Center of Malaysia think tank said Xi's visit is like "a group of friends huddling together for warmth against harsh weather". Xi said on his arrival on Tuesday that he hopes his visit will usher in another "50 golden years" in China-Malaysia relations. "I am confident that with our joint efforts, this will be a fruitful visit," Xi said in a statement issued by the Chinese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. China and Malaysia celebrated their 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations last year and enjoy robust trade ties, although Malaysia claims parts of the South China Sea over which Beijing has staked out near-blanket sovereignty. China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, with total trade between the two countries accounting for 16.8 percent of Malaysia's global trade last year, according to the Malaysian foreign ministry. Xi vowed in an opinion piece published in Malaysia's The Star newspaper on Tuesday that China will work with Southeast Asian countries to fight protectionism and keep global supply chains stable. "We must uphold the multilateral trading system, keep global industrial and supply chains stable, and maintain an international environment of openness and cooperation," Xi said. Xi will travel on Thursday to Cambodia, one of China's staunchest allies in Southeast Asia and where Beijing has extended its influence in recent years. llk-mba/skc/pbt
Al Jazeera
16-04-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
China's Xi hails ‘new golden era' with Malaysia during trade tour
Chinese President Xi Jinping has met Malaysia's King Sultan Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur as part of a regional push to shore up Beijing's trade relationships. The diplomatic stop on Wednesday marks the second leg of Xi's three-nation tour, which also includes Vietnam and Cambodia, and comes amid sharp tariffs imposed by the United States that are reshaping the global economic landscape. Sultan Ibrahim welcomed Xi in a colourful ceremony at the golden-domed Istana Negara palace before his meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the administrative capital of Putrajaya. Xi touted a 'new golden era' of Chinese-Malaysian relations, following the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties last year. The king announced new cooperation between the countries in various fields, including artificial intelligence. 'This is a hugely significant visit,' said Al Jazeera's Rob McBride, reporting from Putrajaya. 'It takes place during this unprecedented trade war that is developing with the United States, with both Malaysia and China finding themselves in the middle.' Khoo Ying Hooi, an associate professor in the department of international and strategic studies at Malaya University, said the visit offered a chance to 'test the waters for regional solidarity' amid the US trade disruptions. 'It's not just about friendship, it's about realigning the regional centre of gravity towards Beijing,' she said. Malaysia is the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc, whose members are among the hardest hit by new US tariffs. ASEAN member Vietnam, a manufacturing powerhouse, was slapped with 46 percent tariffs, and Cambodia, a significant producer of low-cost clothing for big Western brands, was hit with a 49 percent duty. Malaysia, Southeast Asia's third-largest economy, was hit with a lower tariff of 24 percent. Though the measures have been paused for 90 days, President Donald Trump has warned that no country is 'off the hook'. McBride said Malaysia, a longstanding US ally, was likely 'genuinely alarmed to find itself on this list of reciprocal tariffs' and saw it as 'a wake-up call … to deepen ties with its biggest trading partner', China. Despite robust economic ties, the two countries have had tensions over the South China Sea, where Beijing claims sweeping sovereignty over waters also claimed by Kuala Lumpur. 'There has been an extraordinary sea change here, with a lot of the norms of international trade completely upended in a few short months,' McBride said. In Asia Pacific generally, he added, countries that usually align with the US economic model are increasingly turning to Beijing as a reliable trade partner. Xi's next trip will be to Cambodia, one of China's staunchest allies in Southeast Asia and where Beijing has also extended its influence in recent years. On Thursday, he is expected to meet Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni as well as the prime minister and head of the senate.
