Overview
- Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim told an Al Jazeera interview that he views Taiwan as part of China and said China could use force if peaceful reunification fails; the interview aired on Monday, Aug. 17.
- China’s foreign ministry praised Anwar’s stance in a post on X and spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated that there is only one China and called reunification an unstoppable trend.
- Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Anwar’s comments as false and said they risked justifying force and damaging confidence among Taiwanese businesses investing in Malaysia.
- Malaysia’s government spokesman, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, said the remarks were not discussed at the weekly cabinet meeting, highlighting internal political sensitivity over the comments.
- The statements build on a 2025 joint Malaysia-China declaration that recognised the PRC as China’s sole legal government and underline regional concerns because China has not renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.