Malaysia and China won't be going to war over South China Sea drilling

Protest letter from Beijing to Kuala Lumpur points to cooperation on issue

Phar Kim Beng

September 11, 2024 17:05 JST

Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, left, is shown the way by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 31. © Sadiq Asyraf/Prime Minister's Office of Malaysia via AP

Phar Kim Beng is CEO of Malaysian consultancy Strategic Pan Indo-Pacific Arena.

The mere mention of the South China Sea these days conjures up an image of confrontation between China and rival claimants, military or otherwise. So many heads were turned following a leak last week of a diplomatic note (dated Feb. 18) from China to the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing calling on Kuala Lumpur to stop all drilling in the South China Sea, even in Malaysia's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).