When Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin visited China last Thursday (1) to attend a press conference with Chinese Communist Party State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, he called Wang Yi his eternal big brother, remarks that were heavily criticized by the Malaysian opposition.
Hishammuddin responded on Saturday (3) that he was only trying to show respect to Wang Yi at the time. He said on Twitter that Wang Yi is older and more senior than him, so call each other “big brother”, stressing that this is respect not weakness.
He also said that the “big brother” title does not refer to the relationship between the two countries, as their strong relationship is based on equality and mutual trust.
The Chinese Communist Party is Malaysia’s largest trading partner, but relations between the two countries have been tested in recent years due to issues such as sovereignty in the South China Sea. Hishammuddin visited the Communist Party for the first time as foreign minister and met with Wang Yi to discuss issues such as promoting cross-border tourism, strengthening cooperation on the new vaccine crown and the situation in Myanmar, and signed a series of agreements after the meeting. Wang Yi visited Malaysia in October last year.
Recent Comments