Malaysia will steer Asean into a peaceful and conflict-free region amidst rising tensions circling the South China Sea issue, says Defence Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin.
He said that diplomacy should still be the key to solving conflicts and avoiding hostilities among countries in the region.
“We accept the fact that there are overlapping claims and issues but I think diplomacy is not dead.
“Most countries in Asean accept the fact that China is our neighbour – it is a big country, strong economically, technologically advanced.
“We have to live with China, (it’s only whether) we want to live in a peaceful manner or in a situation where we have continuous problems and hostility?” said Khaled.
“Malaysia as Asean chairman this year will help steer the region so that it will not face any conflict,” he said when asked about the need for a united military exercise among Asean members to curb China’s overlapping claims in the region.
He said this in a panel discussion on Asean Dynamism: Capitalising on Opportunities & Navigating Transitions at the Malaysian Economic Forum on Thursday (Jan 9).
Khaled also said Malaysia remains firm on its claim in the disputed territory of the South China Sea, adding that it is non-negotiable.
“We understand that the stakes have never been higher for incidents between the sea’s claimant states.
“There are many overlapping claims over the region; not only between Malaysia and China but between our neighbours, such as Vietnam, Philippines but we all agree that no one can afford that the South China Sea can be a theatre of conflicts,” he said.
He added that as Asean chairman, Malaysia’s main agenda will also focus on expediting the conclusion to the Code of Conduct which also involves China.
Meanwhile, geopolitical expert Elina Noor said that rising tensions in the South China Sea could potentially impact Malaysia and should be addressed by the government and relevant stakeholders.
“The situation is changing in the South China Sea, there are escalations between the Philippines and China that could impact us.
“A lot of things are going on in cyberspace that are intersecting with what’s going on with the maritime space and we may need to have more serious discussions about,” said the Asia Programme senior fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
