Malaysia-China Relations under Anwar Ibrahim’s Unity Government: A Return to the Special Relationship?

077 – 26 September 2024 The authors' views are their own and do not represent the official position of the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies of the S. [...] Anwar has often vigorously defended the China-friendly foreign policy of his government, while insisting that Malaysia has remained “fiercely neutral” in navigating the intricacies of the increasingly contentious geopolitical dynamics in the region and beyond. [...] Towards the last few years of the administration of Najib Abdul Razak (2009–2018), the relationship was especially robust in a wide range of policy domains, from economics and culture to politics and even defence. [...] Given that after Malaysia, the rotating ASEAN chair is likely to skip Myanmar and go to the Philippines, and given the deteriorating state of China-Philippines relations, it may not be lost on China that the crucial years to consolidate ASEAN-China relations will be 2024 and 2025 and that it serves China’s interests to be supportive of Malaysia’s role in ASEAN. [...] The king concluded a four-day visit to China in September 2024 (in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of relations), with a strongly positive affirmation of the current direction of the bilateral relationship.