China’s recently released white paper emphasizes the importance of a shared future and acknowledges the positive results of joint efforts with other claimants in the South China Sea to ensure peace and stability in the region. In line with this, China has accepted Indonesia’s proposal, as the ASEAN chair, to accelerate the negotiations for a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea and aims to reach an agreement among claimants by the end of the year.
China also reassures Malaysia and ASEAN that it will act as a responsible claimant and respect all agreements concerning the South China Sea, which Beijing refers to as “our common home.” With next year being the 50th anniversary of China-Malaysia relations, Beijing is eager to take the bilateral relationship to new heights.
Zheng Xuefang, Charge d’Affaires of the China Embassy, emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea. He highlighted the need to manage maritime differences through consultation with the concerned countries and accelerate consultations on the COC to provide a solid foundation for peace and stability in the region. Zheng also mentioned the successful visit of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to China and the consensus between Anwar and President Xi Jinping on building a China-Malaysia community with a shared future.
In addition to political mutual trust and deepening cooperation, China aims to strengthen international science, technology, and innovation cooperation with Malaysia. China is committed to creating an open, fair, equitable, and non-discriminatory environment for scientific and technological advances, with the goal of benefiting the world. China has already established scientific and technological cooperation with over 160 countries and regions.
The concept of a shared future presented in the white paper reflects the global challenges and issues faced in the international arena. With a growing peace deficit, development deficit, security deficit, and governance deficit, the paper highlights the need to choose between reverting to a Cold War mentality that deepens division and confrontation, or acting for the common well-being of humanity. China embraces the latter option and seeks to work towards a more prosperous and peaceful future.
