KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has cautioned against any efforts by other countries to obstruct China’s military and economic ascension in the Asia-Pacific region.
As reported by AFP, he said that in the midst of the strategic competition between the United States and China for regional influence, Southeast Asian countries are urged to uphold the “sanctity” of international law and promote cooperation.
Beijing would see attempts to curb its military and economic expansion as a denial of its “legitimate place in history,” he said in a speech at the Australian National University in Canberra.
The report also said that this week, Chinese boats in the Spratly Islands archipelago in the South China Sea were accused of hounding Philippine vessels. Beijing in turn accused the US of using the Philippines as a “pawn” in the region.
Anwar insisted that he was not suggesting countries should “turn a blind eye” to breaches of international law.
“A sense of foreboding has seeped into the discourse on the future of our region,” Anwar said, drawing a contrast with turn-of-the-century optimism about free trade helping to build alliances and moderate rivalries.
“Globalisation is decidedly under assault; economic interdependence is now seen as indicative of duress or, worse, of buckling under the weight of coercion.
“For some countries, the preservation of stability warrants nothing less than a more muscular approach towards international affairs,” he said.
Anwar, who will host next year’s Asean summit, said multilateral institutions such as the 10-member bloc needed to ensure the region was resilient to power shifts.
“We must invest in institutions that will enable us to adapt to change peacefully without denying any nation their rightful place in the global economy.”
The great uncertainty in the world highlighted the need for strong, universally recognised laws and more modern multilateral institutions, he said.
Anwar also rebuked Western countries, with a “few exceptions,” for condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine while remaining “utterly silent on the relentless bloodletting inflicted on innocent men, women, and children in Gaza.”
“Unfortunately, the gut-wrenching tragedy that continues to unfold in the Gaza Strip has laid bare the self-serving nature of (the) much-vaunted rules-based order.
“The differing responses of the West to human suffering defy reason,” he added.
Anwar is currently on a four-day official visit to Australia until March 7 (today), following an invitation from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. – March 7, 2024