Malaysia PM says his country keeps good ties with US but not China phobia, wants to engage both

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said his country does not have a “China-phobia” policy and wants to engage both Beijing and Washington, expressing hopes for both powers to resolve their differences. Anwar, who is attending an annual conference in Tokyo, said China is an important neighbor as it grows economically and militarily. He urged the U.S. to abandon protectionism and respect competitiveness. Anwar later met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and both sides agreed to further enhance their cooperation in security, green energy and other areas. The Malaysian leader also said it is “unfortunate” Washington is not doing enough to stop Gaza crisis.