Malaysia says it won’t bow to China’s demands to halt oil exploration in the South China Sea

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says Malaysia will not bow to demands by China to stop its oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea as the activities are within the country’s waters. Speaking from Russia during an official trip, Anwar said Malaysia would continue to explain its stance to China. Anwar said Malaysia has no intention of being provocative or hostile, as China is a great friend. But he said Malaysia has the right to operate in its waters including drilling for oil. Beijing accused Kuala Lumpur of infringing on its territory in a protest note in February to the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing. Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry says it is investigating the leak of the note.