‘Take sides’? Malaysia insists on conditional neutrality amid US-China tech rivalry

AI Summary

Malaysia is struggling to maintain neutrality in the ongoing US-China rivalry, particularly over technology security. Senior political adviser Tengku Zafrul Aziz highlighted the challenge of balancing foreign policy without taking sides in this geopolitical and security tension.

Malaysia is finding it increasingly difficult to stay neutral in the US-China rivalry as the superpowers lock horns over trade, investment and the security of advanced technology, according to a top government adviser. “They don’t make us take sides when it comes to foreign policy,” Tengku Zafrul Aziz, senior political adviser to Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, told This Week in Asia. “They ask me to take sides when it comes to security of technology.” Malaysia’s solution was...