China's South China Sea Claims A Concern: Malaysian PM To NDTV

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim acknowledged that overlapping maritime claims with China remain a concern for Malaysia, even as talks continue on a regional code of conduct for the South China Sea.

Speaking to NDTV's Vishnu Som, Anwar said, "It is a concern in all our negotiations with China, there have been issues, there have been conflicting claims, even with Malaysia."

He was careful, however, to frame the relationship as constructive rather than adversarial, adding, "China, but thus far the engagement has been peaceful."

Anwar said ASEAN as a bloc had pushed for a formal code of conduct in the South China Sea, and that Beijing had responded positively to the idea. Negotiations are now underway on the specific parameters of that code, he said.

He noted that while the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is broadly accepted, it remains too vague on certain practical measures, which is why ASEAN nations have agreed that a more detailed code of conduct needs to be finalised.

The South China Sea is one of the world's busiest trade corridors, with trillions of pounds worth of goods passing through it each year. It is also believed to sit atop significant oil and gas reserves and rich fishing grounds, which is partly why China, along with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, all hold competing claims over parts of it.

China's claims are the most expansive, based on what is often called the nine-dash line, a boundary that a 2016 international tribunal in The Hague ruled had no legal basis, a decision Beijing has consistently rejected.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is in India for the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, where maritime security featured prominently across multiple engagements. A day earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had told the BRICS Business Forum, "Global trade progress is possible only when sea lanes are secure, supply routes remain open, and seafarers are safe. That is why India is a staunch supporter of freedom of navigation and the safety of seafarers," apparently referring to the Strait of Hormuz.