For subscribers
Trump chaos could push Malaysia to embrace Xi on rare visit
Economic pragmatism may determine how Chinese leader’s visit goes.
Sign up now: Get insights on the biggest stories in Malaysia
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in March 2023.
PHOTO: PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE OF MALAYSIA
Whether by design or coincidence, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s first visit to Malaysia in a dozen years couldn’t have been better timed.
Less than two weeks after US President Donald Trump unleashed tariffs on the rest of the world, Mr Xi’s arrival on April 15 – originally billed as a goodwill trip – may now mark a decisive shift in Kuala Lumpur’s long-held policy of geopolitical non-alignment.
