Malaysian leader Anwar says China a 'true friend' and not to be feared as Premier Li ends visit

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim rejects the notion that China’s dominance is to be feared

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday rejected the notion that China's dominance is to be feared, calling China a “true friend” at the end of Premier Li Qiang's visit to mark 50 years of diplomatic ties between their countries.

While the leaders raised some contentious bilateral issues, Mr. Anwar said they discussed them as “equal partners, as trusted friends.” He didn't give details but was likely referring to the prickly issue of overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea.

“People say, well, Malaysia is a growing economy. Don’t let China abuse its privilege and extort from the country. I said no. To the contrary, we want to benefit from one another, we want to learn from one another and we want to profit from this engagement,” Mr. Anwar told some 200 business leaders at a luncheon attended by Mr. Li.

His words will be welcomed by China’s leadership, which finds itself increasingly at odds with countries from the Philippines to Japan as it grows as a regional power in Asia. During his visit, Mr. Li held up what he called the “friendship” between China and Malaysia as a positive example for country-to-country relations in the region.

Mr. Anwar said he rebuked the “incessant propaganda that we should cast aspersions and fear the dominance of China economically, militarily, technologically.”

“We do not. We in Malaysia, having a neutral stance, have the resolve to work with all countries and with China,” he said. “We see Premier Li Qiang as a friend that would work together with us."

Mr. Li, who is China's No. 2 leader after President Xi Jinping, was the first Chinese premier to visit Malaysia since 2015. He flew in for a three-day visit on Tuesday on the last leg of a regional tour. Mr. Li was also the first Chinese premier to visit New Zealand and then Australia in seven years.