
South China Sea: Malaysia’s Anwar says Beijing gave reassurance after ‘10-dash line’ map sparked anger
- Anwar Ibrahim said Chinese Premier Li Qiang promised him that Beijing would avoid actions that risked escalation in the disputed waterway
- China released a map with a ‘10-dash line’ last month that appeared to expand its claims in the sea, prompting condemnation from Malaysia and other Asean nations
Anwar said Li was “clear and categorical” in saying that China would continue to negotiate and not “exercise any action that would explode or cause dissension with our colleagues, our friends in the region.”
“That was very reassuring,” Anwar told CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour.
Anwar said he would not interfere in decisions made by Malaysia’s attorney general, adding that laws against seditious remarks involving the country’s monarchy should be respected.
Malaysia’s home ministry this year confiscated and later banned the sale of rainbow-coloured watches from Swatch’s “Pride collection”, saying they may be harmful to morality and public interest.
Selling or owning the banned material was punishable by up to three years in jail and a fine, the ministry had said.
“I wouldn’t defend that actually, they were as you say, excesses, but … there is a consensus in the country, they do not accept (LGBTQ rights),” Anwar said.
