© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim attends a wreath laying ceremony at Rizal Park, in Manila, Philippines, March 2, 2023. REUTERS/Lisa Marie David
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia said on Saturday it was firmly committed to protecting its sovereign rights and interests in the South China Sea after China raised concerns about Malaysian energy projects in a part of the sea that China also claims.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday that China was concerned about the activity of state energy company Petronas in a part of the South China Sea that Malaysia says is its territory.
Anwar said he was open to negotiations with China, drawing criticism from the opposition, which said Anwar was risking Malaysia’s sovereignty.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday that Anwar’s comment meant that Malaysia would like all issues related to the South China Sea to be resolved peacefully and without compromising Malaysia’s position.
“The Malaysian government is unequivocally and firmly committed to protecting Malaysia’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and interests in its maritime areas in the South China Sea,” the ministry said.
China claims sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea, through which about $3 trillion in maritime trade passes annually. Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam have some overlapping claims.
Petronas operates oil and gas fields within Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and has had several encounters with Chinese vessels in recent years.
China defends its claim with a reference to a “nine-dash line” on its maps, running up to 1,500km south of its mainland, cutting through the EEZs of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.
However, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in 2016 that the nine-dash line has no legal basis.
Anwar said this week that Petronas would continue its activities in the South China Sea.
