Introducing the panellists for “South China Sea Dispute: What it means to Malaysia-China Relations”.
Dr Ngeow Chow-Bing is the Director of the Institute of China Studies at Universiti Malaya. He has contributed opinion pieces to online policy magazines such as East Asia Forum and Asia Dialogue. Dr Ngeow’s research interests include China’s political reforms, organization and management of the Chinese Communist Party, and China-Southeast Asia relations.
Dr Lai Yew Meng is the Dean of the Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge & Language Learning (CPKLL), Universiti Malaysia Sabah where he is also an Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations. He obtained his PhD in Politics from the University of Warwick. His areas of specialisation are Japanese-Chinese Relations, Japanese/Chinese Foreign Policy, East Asian Security, and Malaysian Politics.
Dr Kuik Cheng-Chwee is an Associate Professor and the Head of the Centre for Asian Studies at the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS), UKM. He is concurrently a Nonresident Fellow at Johns Hopkins Foreign Policy Institute. Dr. Kuik’s research concentrates on smaller states’ foreign policy behaviour, East Asian security, and Southeast Asia-China relations.
Bait Al-Amanah (House of Trust), NAHEL Endowment for Peace, and Z Consulting Group are organising a webinar titled “South China Sea Disputes: What it means to Malaysia-China Relations“
Malaysia and China have shared a very special relationship that dates back to the 19th century when Chinese traders first arrived at Malacca’s shores. Since then, China has been an important trade partner to Malaysia and is the largest investor for 13 years straight since 2008. Malaysia on the other hand is important to China as the Straits of Malacca connects the Indian Sea and the Pacific Ocean, providing the path to the busiest trading route in the world.
However, this long-established relationship is now facing a rough patch when the RMAF intercepted 16 PLAAF jet fighters over Malaysian airspace in the South China Sea. Wisma Putra had since summoned the Chinese Ambassador and issued a diplomatic note of protest.
With a number of military bases built on contested islands in South China Sea over the last decade, China is involved in multiple territorial disputes with Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, and Indonesia. Not only rich with diverse natural resources, but the sea is also the busiest shipping lane in the world- further amplifying the importance it plays for surrounding countries.
During the webinar, we will explore the history of Malaysia-China relations, provide context to understand the South China Sea disputes, analyse how will it affect Malaysia-China Relations, and discuss how best should Malaysia and China navigate this issue.
Register now at https://tinyurl.com/southchinaseawebinar. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit our website for more information.
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