Malaysia’s Relations with the Major Powers: China and the United States

Abstract

Over the past year, Malaysia’s relations with the major powers, particularly China and the United States, remain close and cordial. As China and the United States are vying for influence in the Asia Pacific and Southeast Asia, Malaysia has sought to build strong but equidistant relations with both powers. Although Malaysia’s ties with both powers are warm, tensions arose on several occasions but these challenges have been mitigated through redirected focus on shared national interests for cooperation.