China trade deal shows we’re not intimidated by US, says Anwar
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has hit back at criticism that Asean and Malaysia are intimidated by the US, saying the bloc signed an upgraded trade agreement with China just a day after US president Donald Trump met the region’s leaders.
Speaking at a press conference following the closing ceremony of the 47th Asean Summit here, Anwar said Malaysia was capable of maintaining strong ties with both superpowers.
“After Trump left (on Monday), we signed the Asean-China Free Trade Agreement 3.0 Upgrade (today) showing balance and courage in our foreign policy.
“If we were afraid of the United States, it would have been impossible to sign such a major deal with China just one day after Trump’s departure,” he said at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here.
Anwar said this reflected the collective diplomatic wisdom of Asean member…
