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(X/Anwar Ibrahim) Credit: (https://x.com/anwaribrahim/status/2089727068498252152/photo/1) X/Anwar Ibrahim (https://thediplomat.com/subscriptions/) Subscribe for ads-free reading China has praised recent comments by Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in which he described Taiwan as a province of China and expressed support for its use of force in the pursuit of national “reunification.” In an (https://archive.is/o/xBVgD/https:/www.aljazeera.com/video/the-india-report/2026/8/16/anwar-ibrahim-malaysia-between-the-superpowers) interview with Al Jazeera published on Sunday, the Malaysian leader said that he saw “Taiwan as part of China, period.” He added that there was “one China” and that this was “accepted by all.” Anwar also expressed support for China’s right to use force in order to unify the country, arguing that if a province of Malaysia attempted to secede, it would be his responsibility to “protect the sanctity and unity of the nation” – by force if necessary. “China appreciates the remarks by Prime Minister Anwar,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-19/anwar-s-taiwan-remarks-draw-praise-from-china-taipei-rebuke) said at a daily press briefing in Beijing yesterday. “I would like to reiterate that there’s only one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and China must and will be reunited.” Anwar’s comments caused a conversely negative reaction in Taipei, where the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6423421) said on Tuesday that Anwar’s “one-sided support for China could negatively impact Taiwanese businesses’ confidence in investing in Malaysia.” His apparent support for unilateral efforts to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait via the threat of force “severely damages political trust between Taiwan and Malaysia.” The ministry also said that if Malaysia’s leader was really a defender of human rights, as he has long claimed, he should “uphold universal values such as democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law, and respect the will of the people.” The standoff reflects the difficulties that Malaysia has faced in its attempt to maintain a balance between. Malaysia remains economically close to China, but has also welcomed investment from other Asian countries, including Taiwan – including in the country’s high-tech industry. One commentator in Malaysiakini (https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/782586) expressed concern that Taiwan “is a major investor in Penang’s semiconductor sector – precisely the back-end ecosystem Malaysia wants to expand – and Taipei has threatened trade consequences. A chill in those ties could slow Malaysia’s chip ambitions.” For years, Malaysia adhered to a “One China Policy” outlined in the (https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/China_Malaysia_Communique_Establishing_Diplomatic_Relations) joint communique issued when Beijing and Kuala Lumpur established diplomatic relations in 1974. According to the communique, Malaysia “recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China, and acknowledges the position of the Chinese Government that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China.” In the years since, however, Malaysia has moved from simply “acknowledging” Beijing’s “position” that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the PRC – a position taken by many other nations, including the United States – to “recognizing” the fact.   The word “recognize” appeared in a (http://www.china.org.cn/english/2004/May/96837.htm) joint statement in 2004 , as well as the statements issued during (https://english.www.gov.cn/news/202406/20/content_WS6673e985c6d0868f4e8e85e6.html) Premier Li Qiang’s visit to Malaysia in June 2024 and during (https://laoag.china-consulate.gov.cn/eng/lgxw/202504/t20250417_11595814.htm) President Xi Jinping’s visit to Malaysia the following April. Both statements also omitted the word “peaceful” before the phrase “national reunification,” a term that had appeared in all previous bilateral documents. Anwar’s comments to Al Jazeera went a step further, by appearing to endorse Beijing’s claim to sovereignty over Taiwan, rather than merely “acknowledging” its position or “recognizing” this about Taiwan’s status. His expression of support for China’s possible use of force to “reunify” China also broke new ground. This led to (https://x.com/CollinSLKoh/status/2090091890289094822) speculation online that Anwar had “upgraded” Malaysia from its “one China policy” to Beijing’s “one China principle.” Chinese state media have certainly treated his comments as an endorsement, with Xinhua news agency (https://english.news.cn/20260819/2f68862ae44742d28d48ec5b36cd655b/c.html) stating that Anwar had “reaffirmed the one-China principle.” It is unclear whether Anwar’s comments to Al Jazeera were premeditated, or simply a slip of the tongue. It is also unclear whether Taiwan will follow through with retaliatory actions. Nonetheless, they demonstrate the delicacy of the issue to both Taipei and Beijing, and the increasing challenges that Malaysia faces in staying in the good graces of both. Already have an account? Log in . You have reached the limit of 2 free articles this month. Get to the bottom of the story (https://thediplomat.com/subscriptions) Subscribe today and join thousands of diplomats, analysts, policy professionals and business readers who rely on The Diplomat for expert Asia-Pacific coverage. Get unlimited access to in-depth analysis you won't find anywhere else, from South China Sea tensions to ASEAN diplomacy to India-Pakistan relations. More than 5,000 articles a year. 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China has praised recent comments by Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in which he described Taiwan as a province of China and expressed support for its use of force in the pursuit of national “reunification.” In an (https://archive.is/o/xBVgD/https:/www.aljazeera.com/video/the-india-report/2026/8/16/anwar-ibrahim-malaysia-between-the-superpowers) interview with Al Jazeera published on Sunday, the Malaysian leader said that he saw “Taiwan as part of China, period.” He added that there was “one China” and that this was “accepted by all.” Anwar also expressed support for China’s right to use force in order to unify the country, arguing that if a province of Malaysia attempted to secede, it would be his responsibility to “protect the sanctity and unity of the nation” – by force if necessary. “China appreciates the remarks by Prime Minister Anwar,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-19/anwar-s-taiwan-remarks-draw-praise-from-china-taipei-rebuke) said at a daily press briefing in Beijing yesterday. “I would like to reiterate that there’s only one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and China must and will be reunited.” Anwar’s comments caused a conversely negative reaction in Taipei, where the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6423421) said on Tuesday that Anwar’s “one-sided support for China could negatively impact Taiwanese businesses’ confidence in investing in Malaysia.” His apparent support for unilateral efforts to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait via the threat of force “severely damages political trust between Taiwan and Malaysia.” The ministry also said that if Malaysia’s leader was really a defender of human rights, as he has long claimed, he should “uphold universal values such as democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law, and respect the will of the people.” The standoff reflects the difficulties that Malaysia has faced in its attempt to maintain a balance between. Malaysia remains economically close to China, but has also welcomed investment from other Asian countries, including Taiwan – including in the country’s high-tech industry. One commentator in Malaysiakini (https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/782586) expressed concern that Taiwan “is a major investor in Penang’s semiconductor sector – precisely the back-end ecosystem Malaysia wants to expand – and Taipei has threatened trade consequences. A chill in those ties could slow Malaysia’s chip ambitions.” For years, Malaysia adhered to a “One China Policy” outlined in the (https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/China_Malaysia_Communique_Establishing_Diplomatic_Relations) joint communique issued when Beijing and Kuala Lumpur established diplomatic relations in 1974. According to the communique, Malaysia “recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China, and acknowledges the position of the Chinese Government that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China.” In the years since, however, Malaysia has moved from simply “acknowledging” Beijing’s “position” that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the PRC – a position taken by many other nations, including the United States – to “recognizing” the fact.   The word “recognize” appeared in a (http://www.china.org.cn/english/2004/May/96837.htm) joint statement in 2004 , as well as the statements issued during (https://english.www.gov.cn/news/202406/20/content_WS6673e985c6d0868f4e8e85e6.html) Premier Li Qiang’s visit to Malaysia in June 2024 and during (https://laoag.china-consulate.gov.cn/eng/lgxw/202504/t20250417_11595814.htm) President Xi Jinping’s visit to Malaysia the following April. Both statements also omitted the word “peaceful” before the phrase “national reunification,” a term that had appeared in all previous bilateral documents. Anwar’s comments to Al Jazeera went a step further, by appearing to endorse Beijing’s claim to sovereignty over Taiwan, rather than merely “acknowledging” its position or “recognizing” this about Taiwan’s status. His expression of support for China’s possible use of force to “reunify” China also broke new ground. This led to (https://x.com/CollinSLKoh/status/2090091890289094822) speculation online that Anwar had “upgraded” Malaysia from its “one China policy” to Beijing’s “one China principle.” Chinese state media have certainly treated his comments as an endorsement, with Xinhua news agency (https://english.news.cn/20260819/2f68862ae44742d28d48ec5b36cd655b/c.html) stating that Anwar had “reaffirmed the one-China principle.” It is unclear whether Anwar’s comments to Al Jazeera were premeditated, or simply a slip of the tongue. It is also unclear whether Taiwan will follow through with retaliatory actions. Nonetheless, they demonstrate the delicacy of the issue to both Taipei and Beijing, and the increasing challenges that Malaysia faces in staying in the good graces of both. Authors (Sebastian Strangio) (Sebastian Strangio) Staff Author Sebastian Strangio Sebastian Strangio is Southeast Asia editor at The Diplomat. 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