Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says the issue about competing claims in the resource-rich sealane was raised during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in China last week as the two countries seek to avoid tensions.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said that Malaysia was prepared to negotiate the South China Sea dispute with Beijing to safeguard the country’s energy exploration efforts.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea — a strategic waterway through which trillions of dollars in trade pass annually — despite an international court ruling that Beijing’s assertion has no legal basis.
The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei all have overlapping claims in the sea, while the United States sends naval vessels through it to assert freedom of navigation in international waters.
Anwar — who was on a visit to Beijing recently — said on Monday that the “sensitive” issue was raised at a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping as Malaysia’s state energy firm Petronas has its largest oil platform in the disputed area, as well as several exploration projects.
“I said, as a small country we need the resources, (like) oil and gas, we have to continue (exploration projects),” Anwar said during a monthly speech to staff at the Prime Minister’s Office.
“But if the condition is that there must be negotiations, then we are ready to negotiate.”
The premier did not provide further details on the conversation with Xi.
While asserting their claims in the South China Sea, Chinese authorities in recent years have ramped up its development of artificial islands, including outfitting some with military facilities and runways.
Regional nations have also accused Chinese vessels of harassing their fishing boats.
In 2021, Malaysia summoned Beijing’s envoy to the Southeast Asian country in protest after Chinese vessels entered its maritime economic zone in the disputed sea.
Earlier that year, it scrambled fighter jets to intercept 16 Chinese military aircraft that appeared off Borneo over the South China Sea. – https://www.trtworld.
Beijing concerned over South China Sea energy projects: Malaysia’s Anwar
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim tells parliament that Beijing was worried that state-owned energy company Petronas is carrying out a “major activity” in disputed seas but which is within Malaysia’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has acknowledged that Beijing expressed concerns about energy activities by the Malaysian state firm Petronas in the South China Sea, even though Kuala Lumpur believes the projects are in its territory.
Anwar’s remarks come after he opened the door for negotiations with China earlier this week, in a sign of mounting pressure on Malaysia’s energy operations in waters that Beijing claims as its own.
Anwar recently visited China and held talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, through which at least $3 trillion worth of ship-borne trade passes annually.
Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Taiwan — the self-ruled island, and Vietnam have some overlapping claims.
Petronas operates oil and gas fields within Malaysia’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and has in recent years had several encounters with Chinese vessels.
China was worried that “Petronas has carried out a major activity at an area that is also claimed by China,” Anwar said on Tuesday, responding to a parliamentary question about his discussions on the South China Sea during his visit to China last week.
“I stressed… that Malaysia sees the area as Malaysian territory therefore Petronas will continue its exploration activities there,” Anwar said, without specifying an offshore project or a location.
But Malaysia is open for negotiations “if China feels this is their right”, Anwar said, adding the Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc feels that overlapping claims should be resolved by negotiations. – https://www.trtworld.