Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim in Beijing on Thursday, calling on the two sides to take the opportunity of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties to promote and enrich the China-Malaysia community with a shared future.

Noting that China and Malaysia are good neighbors, good friends and good partners, Xi said the two countries have maintained close interactions and exchanges at all levels and advanced mutually beneficial cooperation with high quality on all fronts since Anwar's first China visit in March last year after taking office as prime minister, delivering tangible benefits to the two peoples, according to Xinhua News Agency. 

China and Malaysia are both at crucial stages of national development and rejuvenation, Xi said. "The two sides should take the celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the China-Malaysia Year of Friendship as an opportunity to work together for a more concrete China-Malaysia community with a shared future, to help each other achieve their development goals, and to make new and greater contributions to regional prosperity and stability," said Xi.

Chinese experts said that China-Malaysia relations have played a pioneering and exemplary role in regional cooperation. The relationship between the two countries has transcended the bilateral sphere, and there is still plenty of room for cooperation and common interests between the two sides in the economic and trade fields, as well as in regional and international affairs.

Anwar previously visited China in March and September 2023, making this trip his third visit to China in two years.  

Anwar's itinerary in Beijing on Thursday also included a stop at Peking University, where he delivered a public lecture, Anwar wrote in his X account. He also visited the Huawei Executive Briefing Center on Thursday.

2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries and the Year of China-Malaysia Friendship, with leaders on both sides having frequent interactions. 

In September, President Xi held talks with Malaysia's King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar in Beijing, pledging to work with Malaysia to bring the building of a China-Malaysia community with a shared future to a new level. Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Malaysia's King and Prime Minister Anwar in June during his visit to Malaysia. 

The close interactions between the two countries not only have a solid historical foundation, but also a strong impetus from practical cooperation, and friendly people-to-people exchanges, Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

China-Malaysia relations have played a pioneering and exemplary role in China's cooperation with regional countries, said Xu, adding that some China-ASEAN cooperation started with China-Malaysia cooperation.

In December 1997, China attended the first China-ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia. Malaysia will take up the ASEAN chairmanship in 2025.

Anwar attended the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, where he held talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang as well as Chinese investors, industry leaders, and representatives from China's state-run companies.  

As an important member of the Global South, Malaysia upholds the concept of development, free trade and multilateralism, which are highly consistent with China's position and views, Xu said. 

The relationship between China and Malaysia has transcended the bilateral level, and there is much room for cooperation between the two countries in regional and global affairs, Xu said, "Both China and Malaysia uphold multilateralism and oppose decoupling."

Malaysia has played a positive role in cooperating with China in maintaining regional peace, stability, and development," said Shen Shishun, director of the Department for Asia-Pacific Security and Cooperation at the China Institute of International Studies.

"Countries in the Global South have the ability to make independent judgments and the right to exercise their own foreign policy, choosing positions that are just and in line with the interests of their peoples," Shen said. 

At a university event on November 1, Anwar said that he had directly rejected US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's call to stop building friendly relations with Russia on the sidelines of the 19th East Asia Summit in October. Anwar responded to the US by saying, "That's your issue; don't instruct us. We are an independent, sovereign country; we make decisions for our people and our nation."

According to Xu, Anwar's visit is also an opportunity to further promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation to new heights. 

China has been Malaysia's top trading partner for 15 straight years since 2009. Malaysia's total trade with China in 2023 amounted to 680 billion yuan ($95.47 billion), accounting for 17.1 percent of Malaysia's total trade with the entire world, according to Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In addition to the traditional trade in agricultural products between the two countries, there are considerable complementarities between the two sides in emerging areas such as e-commerce, digital economy and green economy, Xu said, "There is also enormous room for cooperation between the two sides in the field of high-tech."

Several foreign leaders, including Italian President and Indonesian President, will visit China this week. Amid a turbulent international political landscape, these visits underscore that many countries regard China as a key guardian of global peace and stability, and as a reliable partner in boosting win-win cooperation, observers said.

At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, Italian President Sergio Mattarella will pay a state visit to China from November 7 to 12, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Tuesday. 

Hua announced the same day that President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto will pay a state visit to China from November 8 to 10.

During President Sergio Mattarella's visit to China, President Xi Jinping will hold talks with him to draw up a blueprint for the growth of bilateral relations, Mao Ning, a spokesperson from Chinese Foreign Ministry announced at a news briefing on Tuesday.

Premier Li Qiang and Chairman Zhao Leji of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress will meet with him respectively. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Italy. The visits of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella underline the robust growth of China-Italy relations, Mao said.

The spokesperson noted that guided by the common understandings of the leaders of the two countries, China stands ready to work with Italy to further deepen political mutual trust, expand practical cooperation and cultural and people-to-people exchanges, promote mutual learning among civilizations, and provide more stability for a changing and turbulent world.

President Prabowo Subianto visited China in his first overseas trip right after he was elected in March and again chose China as the first country to visit after taking office. This speaks volumes about the great importance he attaches to the growth of China-Indonesia relations and the strength of the bilateral ties, Mao said.

China stands ready to work with Indonesia through the visit to cement high-level political mutual trust, deepen all-round strategic cooperation and elevate the building of the China-Indonesia community with a shared future to a new level, so as to inject strong impetus to our two countries' respective modernization process, and boost regional and global development and prosperity, Mao said. 

Meloni visited China in July this year. Similar to that visit, Mattarella's China visit aims to further improve bilateral ties between China and Italy, especially against the backdrop of trade friction between China and EU over tariffs on Chinese EVs, Wang Yiwei, a professor at the School of International Relations at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times.

Indonesia has been paying efforts to balance its interests amid the uncertainties of great-power competition. Yet Prabowo's upcoming visit to China underscores that the country has placed special emphasis on strengthening ties with Beijing, seeking collaboration to enhance its own economic development, Gu Xiaosong, dean of the ASEAN Research Institute at Hainan Tropical Ocean University, told the Global Times. According to Jakarta Globe, China is the first stop of Prabowo's five-country trip which also includes the US.

In addition to state visits, foreign leaders including Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene and Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic were set to attend the opening ceremony of the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) and relevant events. 

The 7th CIIE is being held in Shanghai from November 5 to 10.

The international political landscape is currently marked by significant uncertainties brought about by the US presidential election and the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and between Russia and Ukraine, Gu said.

He noted that the intensive visits of multiple foreign leaders to China during this period underscore the perception that many countries regard China as a major force in safeguarding peace and stability in the world. Furthermore, they see China as a reliable partner for fostering win-win cooperation. 

The orbital capsule of the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship separated from the return capsule successfully on Monday, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

Security and defense cooperation between various parties should be conducive to regional peace and stability, and not target any third party or undermine the security interests of other countries, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday, in response to a new EU-Japan security and defense pact signed during the Tokyo visit of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

Lin Jian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, made the remarks at a press briefing on Friday. He said due to historical reasons, Japan's military and security moves have been closely watched by the international community and its Asian neighbors, urging Japan to earnestly draw lessons from history, adhere to peaceful development, respect the security concerns of its neighbors in Asia, and stay prudent in military and security areas. 

We also hope that the EU will not interfere in the disputes on territorial and maritime rights and interests between regional countries, but instead play a constructive role for regional peace, stability, and development, Lin said. 

On Friday, Borrell co-chaired the first EU-Japan Strategic Dialogue together with Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya in Tokyo, the first stop of his East Asia tour to Japan and South Korea from November 1 to 4, according to the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Korea. 

During the dialogues, Japan and the EU agreed to launch a defense and security partnership that will lay the ground for closer cooperation in critical areas such as maritime security and tie-ups in the defense industry, according to Japanese media. 

More concretely, these include more joint training and capacity-building, finding ways to jointly counter terrorism and exploring potential avenues for joint initiatives in the defense industry, said the Japan Times. Details of the agreement have not been released as of press time. 

According to the Japan Times, Borrell and Iwaya have expressed concerns about tense territorial and maritime disputes in the East and South China Sea, and reaffirmed the "strategic importance" of peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits for regional and global security and prosperity.

Lü Chao, director of the Institute of US and East Asian Studies at Liaoning University, told the Global Times that both Japan and the EU are clearly targeting a third party to create a confrontational camp and a Cold War mentality, and Asian countries should be vigilant about it.

He said that the EU has traditionally been more focused on economic and political affairs, but now, it is also showing a trend of "NATO-ization," with a greater focus on defense and security, following NATO's Asia-Pacific pivot.

EU and Japanese officials also pointed out that the security of the Euro-Atlantic and "Indo-Pacific" is inseparable.

The EU official's visit to Japan and South Korea to discuss security cooperation is a very dangerous move that could make the situation on the peninsula even more dangerous and unpredictable, Lü noted. 

In terms of what is available from reports and their respective military strengths, Japan's military cooperation with the EU is still more of a political and symbolic one, Shen Yi, a professor at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Friday.

Their defense and security cooperation is more about an alternative means for the EU and Japan to prevent the negative impact of a possible Trump return and his intention of withdrawing from alliances, Shen said.

As for Japan, Shen said that it is also using defense cooperation with the EU as "symbolic progress" that "Japan has taken another step toward normalcy," which could be helpful for some Japanese politicians to further hollow out Article 9 of Japan's pacifist constitution.

The European Union (EU) is sending mixed messages over its policy on China, with media reporting that the EU is set to send envoys to Beijing for further negotiations on the electric vehicles (EVs) tariff issue, while a report presented by Special Adviser to the President of the European Commission Sauli Niinisto recently showed a "problematic view of China." 

If the EU wants to find an effective solution to the EV dispute with China and realize win-win cooperation to serve the needs of European countries for development in a turbulent world, EU leaders need to stop hyping the "China threat" rhetoric and stay away from the US' hostile containment strategy against China, as China has never seen the EU as a rival, but a partner for win-win cooperation, Chinese experts said on Thursday.  

The report titled "Strengthening Europe's civil and military preparedness and readiness" by Sauli Niinisto, a former Finnish president, comprehensively covered the fields of economy, trade, industry, diplomacy and security of the EU. The report said "the economic and military rise of China in the Indo-Pacific, Russia's military aggression in Europe, and the strategic convergence between these two autocratic powers, is reshaping international relations across Eurasia and around the world - even if the majority of countries refuse to entertain a bloc logic and are engaged in multi-partnerships."

The report appears to be trying to blame China and Russia for the intensifying bloc confrontation that was initially pushed by the US across Eurasia via NATO expansion in Europe and building military alliances in the Asia-Pacific region, threatening regional peace and stability, said Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University. 

The report said "The increasingly confrontational policies and actions of Russia and China toward the West have already seriously undermined the long-held conviction that trade and economic interdependencies would overcome security dilemmas, and that the economy and security could be seen as essentially separate domains."

In the report, presented to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Niinisto suggested the EU must signal to the US that it is prepared to pay its way on military and civil preparedness. 

"The fact is that China's development has brought significant benefits to nations worldwide, including European ones, while US hegemonic strategy is fostering chaos around the globe. The interdependencies between China and Europe should be strengthened and developed, not pushed toward decoupling in the name of 'security'," Li noted. 

Some Chinese analysts questioned whether this report was based on the EU's own interests or just a document to prove some EU leaders' loyalty to Washington, but added that blindly following the US and distancing itself from China is not a wise choice for the EU. 

Jiang Feng, a research fellow at the Shanghai International Studies University, said in an article published in the Global Times on Wednesday that "In the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the continent is more reliant on the US for security than at any time since the Cold War. However, the post-election US may not want to bear such dependence unless Europe pays a significant price. This situation means that Europe is drifting further away from the ideal of an independent and autonomous security policy." 

How to cooperate?

On Thursday, Bloomberg reported that "The EU has decided to send officials to Beijing to hold more talks aimed at finding an alternative to tariffs on EVs from China, according to people familiar with the matter."

Agreeing to travel to Beijing suggests there is some momentum in the negotiations, the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Bloomberg. They cautioned, however, that a deal to replace the levies, which came into force on Wednesday, remains complicated. "Plans were still being finalized and need to be coordinated with Beijing," Bloomberg reported.

Cui Hongjian, a professor at the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Thursday that if the EU really wants to reach a deal with China on EV tariffs, it should stop hyping the "China threat" rhetoric to the public while releasing signals for talks. "If the stances are subject to interruption from political tunes, it will be difficult for Europe and China to reach a solution." 

The EU made the unilateral decision on tariffs first and then came to China for negotiations, which has put up some obstacles for the two sides to fundamentally improving and facilitating their trade policies, and in order to achieve more goals than just communication on technical issues, the EU needs to release more friendly messages rather than hyping the "China threat" rhetoric, Cui noted.   

Li said some EU leaders need to correct their problematic view on China, as shown in the report, to create condition for sustainable win-win cooperation between the two sides.

China's state security organs have uncovered across Chinese territorial waters a variety of devices with special techniques that foreign espionage and intelligence agencies employed to gather sensitive oceanic information and data to enhance surveillance and gather data on China's maritime areas in a series of intelligence gathering and technical espionage activities, posing a significant threat to China's national security, China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) said on Tuesday.

According to an article released by the MSS on WeChat, some of these devices act as "covert sentries," lying concealed on the seafloor for extended periods, while others serve as "spies" that drift along with ocean currents. There are still other devices which function as underwater "lighthouse" to navigate foreign submarines intruding the Chinese territorial waters while attempting to hide their tracks. 

According to the MSS, deep-sea security is crucial for state security, involving international cooperation to safeguard China's assets and interests across areas including politics, economy, technology, resources, environment, overseas interests, and military. Effective protection of deep-sea security is critical to state security and the country's development. 

The MSS said that it is an inevitable choice for China to realize Chinese modernization through speeding up the construction of a strong maritime power, whereas China at present is at a critical stage in its transition from a major maritime power to a strong maritime power, with its deep-sea security facing risks and challenges. 

Amid severe and complex covert threats from foreign intelligence agencies, Chinese state security organs will collaborate with other agencies to effectively prevent and resolve various security risks in the deep-sea area, firmly defending China's sovereignty, security, and development interests and contributing to building a strong maritime power, the MSS said.