Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein called Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi “big brother” during his recent visit to the Communist Party of China (CPC), and was attacked by social media users and opposition politicians in his home country. Independent.
During his first visit to the Communist Party of China (CPC) as foreign minister, Hishammuddin expressed hope that he and CPC State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi would promote closer ties between the two countries, including post-COVID-19 cooperation and the fight against the pandemic.
However, at a joint press conference with Wang Yi on the 1st, Hisham Mudin not only said that China and Malaysia are a family, but also told Wang Yi in Chinese, “You will always be my big brother.” This talk has sparked controversy in Malaysia.
The Chinese Communist Party is Malaysia’s largest trading partner, but relations between the two countries have been tested in recent years by Beijing’s increasingly assertive foreign policy in Southeast Asia, particularly its claim to full sovereignty over the South China Sea. Malaysia is also one of the countries claiming sovereignty over the South China Sea.
Some Malaysians have taken to social media to deride Hishammuddin, saying he is clearly appeasing world power China, while opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has called on Hishammuddin to retract the statement and apologize to the Malaysian nation.
Anwar said today, “This is not the language and manner that should be used in diplomatic settings and in international relations as it seems to put Malaysia in the position of being like a puppet of a foreign country.”
“As a country that is neutral and does not support any power in the world, his (Hisham Mudin’s) statement is clearly an insult to our country.”
Following Anwar’s criticism, Hishammuddin tweeted that he was showing respect for Wang Yi by saying “big brother” and that those words did not refer to Malaysia’s relationship with the Chinese Communist Party.
Hishammuddin said he respects Wang Yi as an older and more senior foreign minister, so the term “big brother” is his personal term for Wang Yi.
Hishammuddin said “respect does not mean weakness”.
He told the Malaysian people, “Please be assured that in Malaysia’s foreign policy, we remain independent, principled and pragmatic, and based on the values of peace, humanity, justice and equality.”
Wang Yi was in Nanping, Fujian Province, on April 1 for talks with visiting Hysan Mudin to discuss issues including the situation in Myanmar.
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