Mohamed Jawhar Hassan (COURTESY OF ISIS MALAYSIA)

The official visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to China on June 2-5 is seen as an important step in furthering the strategic and cooperative relationship between the two countries. In an interview with Beijing Review reporter Zhou Jianxiong, Mohamed Jawhar Hassan, Chairman and CEO of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies, a top think tank and consulting institution in Malaysia, outlined why Malaysia made its decision to establish diplomatic ties with China 35 years ago and why it looks forward to the development of this relationship in the future.

Beijing Review: Malaysia was the first country among the then five-member ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] bloc to establish diplomatic relations with China in 1974. Could you brief us on the historical background?

Mohamed Jawhar Hassan: Malaysia's decision to give diplomatic recognition to China was actually influenced by both domestic political considerations and developments in the international strategic situation. Internally, the Malaysian Government needed to win support from the Chinese population and strengthen national unity among all the ethnic groups at home. The then Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak concluded that an official visit to China would help fulfill this end, and it later proved to have achieved the desired effect. Externally, Malaysia wanted to shift from a pro-Western foreign policy to a non-aligned neutral stance, and lend credibility to the concept of the "Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality" that Malaysia had championed. The idea was adopted by ASEAN in 1971. By establishing diplomatic relations with China, Malaysia wished to show to the world that its foreign policy was truly independent. The global attitude toward China had also changed by that time. Several Western countries, including Canada, Italy, Belgium, Britain and Australia, had established relations with China, and in 1972 U.S. President Richard Nixon also paid a visit to China, the first ever by an American head of state. It was against this historical backdrop that the then Malaysian prime minister assumed it was the most opportune time for Malaysia and the other ASEAN members to follow suit.

China and Malaysia have maintained very good relations, particularly in recent years. What do you think forms the cornerstone of this relationship?

Indeed, our bilateral relationship is very good at the moment. The two countries not only have enjoyed very good government-to-government relations, but also maintained close contact in non-government and private sectors. Especially during recent years, Malaysia and China have intensified their ties in almost every sphere-trade, investment, tourism, culture, education, science and technology, energy and so on. According to our statistics, bilateral trade amounted to some $50 billion last year, up from $20 billion in 2003. Tourism has also been booming. Tourist arrivals from China totaled 950,000 last year, double the figure in 2003. Our relations have been reinforced by regional processes, including cooperation between ASEAN and China, the ASEAN+3 mechanism, the East Asia Summit, as well as the ASEAN Regional Forum.

I think the cornerstone of our friendly and cooperative ties lies in the fact that Malaysia and China have based their relationship on mutual respect and interests. They share many common values and are committed to multilateralism, non-hegemonism, and peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and in the world as well.

Are you aware of any major problems that will likely affect our generally friendly and cooperative ties?

The only major problem is the overlapping claims in the South China Sea and issues related to them. The latest round of submissions by Malaysia and Viet Nam on the continental shelf to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf have again brought to the fore occasional differences that will arise between all the claimant countries.

Territorial disputes are always protracted and difficult to resolve. The important point is to ensure that any differences are resolved quickly and amicably through peaceful negotiations.

You have said Malaysians generally see China as an economic challenge rather than a security threat. What makes them see China in such a light?

Suspicion of China as a potential threat-which is not altogether absent in Malaysia-is influenced by several factors. The first is China's sheer size, its growing power and strategic influence. Then there remains residual Cold War sentiment against China. Third is the concern among some countries that China can challenge and displace them in terms of military and strategic superiority in the Asia-Pacific region.

China can reduce these suspicions by the following means: initiating a massive and effective public communication campaign; introducing greater transparency in its military expenditure and policy; and pointing out, more persuasively, how China in fact is significantly weaker than some other major powers militarily.

With your prime minister's official visit to China, do you expect our bilateral relationship will be brought to new heights?

I am not able to answer you fully because I am not privy to the preliminary discussions that are taking place within government circles and with their counterparts in China. But I believe that current Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak will try to expand and deepen our relations further and bring them to a higher level. The aim will be to develop a "strategic partnership" between the two countries, with a focus on developing further economic cooperation, trade and investment.

Malaysia and China, like other countries, face great challenges in the ongoing economic crisis that is affecting the world. While the situation in the East Asian region is peaceful, there are serious concerns with regard to developments on the Korean Peninsula. I believe that Malaysia and China can exchange views on these issues and enhance mutual understanding and common perspectives.