Sultan Ibrahim has arrived in Beijing for the celebrations of 50 years of bilateral relations. Kuala Lumpur is seeking Chinese investment to develop its network of connections with the neighbouring city-state. But there is also discontent over Malaysia’s oil exploration activities in the South China Sea.
Beijing (/Agencies) – Malaysia’s King Ibrahim has arrived in Beijing for the first visit by a Malaysian monarch to China in ten years. The four-day trip, linked to the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations, includes meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.
“His Majesty’s visit represents an excellent opportunity for both sides to reaffirm their shared commitment to ensuring that Malaysia-China relations remain forward-looking, dynamic and prosperous,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kuala Lumpur said. On the table is above all the aim of obtaining Beijing’s support for projects aimed at strengthening ties with neighbouring Singapore.
Johor Sultan Ibrahim, 65, was sworn in as the country’s 17th king in January – under a unique monarchy in which the heads of Malaysia’s nine royal families alternate on the throne every five years and must remain impartial – and has said he intends to intervene directly in the country’s political affairs. In a media interview before he ascended the throne, he had proposed that state oil company Petronas and the anti-corruption agency report directly to the king.
Chinese Premier Li already visited Kuala Lumpur in June and gave his support to Malaysia’s plans to develop its communications by means of a rail link with other Chinese-backed rail projects in Laos and Thailand. The idea would be a pan-Asian railway running from Kunming in China to Singapore, presumably via Johor, where the Sultan also wants to build a rail link. Sultan Ibrahim has spoken of plans to revive a high-speed rail project between Malaysia and Singapore – which is currently stalled – with a border crossing at Forest City.
During his stay in China, the King is also expected to attend the appointment ceremony for the Chair of Malaysian Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University and meet with the Malaysian diaspora.
Since 2009, China has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner. Last year, total bilateral trade was valued at US$98.9 billion, accounting for 17.1% of Malaysia’s total trade. On the other hand, Malaysia is China’s second largest trading partner among ASEAN countries, only behind Vietnam.
Trade ties between Beijing and Kuala Lumpur came to light earlier this month when Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he had received a protest note from China calling for a halt to Malaysia’s oil exploration activities in the South China Sea. The prime minister stressed, however, that the two sides continue to discuss the issue.
China claims almost all of the South China Sea as its own territory based on historical maps that include parts of the exclusive economic zones of Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, Taiwan and Vietnam. An international arbitration tribunal ruled in 2016 that China’s claim has no basis in international law, a ruling that Beijing does not recognize.
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