Since 1974, a sort of mythology has grown up around how Malaysia’s current strong relations with China began to take shape in that year, when Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak became the first ASEAN leader to normalize relations with it.
China has always placed ASEAN squarely on the first page of its foreign cooperation agenda, regarding ASEAN as a priority in its foreign policy and a key region for the development of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Just when everyone thought China’s e-commerce market was being dominated by Alibaba and JD.com, a dark horse emerged from the shadows and blazed a trail into the trading spotlight amid a wave of criticism.
This by itself makes it a key international event – a type of equivalent of a G7 for developing countries. But BRICS represents a greater proportion of world economic growth than the advanced G7 economies.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – under which China is connecting itself with its “natural partners” along the Silk Road trading routes of the past – continues to be a guide for the Arab world and the Middle East.
Time pushes forward, with less than half a year until the U.S. midterm elections this coming November, and a president whose lawyer is currently under an FBI investigation; the Trump administration is in a tussle, not only for its mandate, but also for its survival.
During this year’s review China received 1,963 written questions from 42 members, and had answered 1,627 questions from 33 members before July 11, with the remaining questions submitted after June 28 to be answered within one month.
China’s economic rise and the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) economic association have provided the African continent with a range of new development partners and opportunities unmatched in its post-colonial history.
In terms of fulfillment of WTO (World Trade Organization) commitments, all members of the organization should be treated equally.
As one of the major persistent global issues, poverty is a common challenge for humanity. China, once home to the world’s largest poverty-stricken population, was one of the first countries in the world to introduce state assistance measures.
Under the circumstances of Sino-U.S. trade frictions and Pro-Brexit, China and the UK might become convenient bedfellows – centered around the Belt and Road Initiative and free trade.
The meeting will also see the release of milestone documents that codify their consensus. All this will further enhance the solidarity and influence of the SCO.
