PETALING JAYA: The international response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict will dictate the future of China’s disputes with Southeast Asian countries, says an academic.
Guido Benny, an associate professor at Taylor’s University, said a conflict similar to the one in Ukraine could happen in Southeast Asia because of disputed boundaries in the South China Sea.
“The way China sees Taiwan as one of its provinces is similar to how Russia sees Ukraine as part of its family,” Benny said at a talk on the Ukraine crisis yesterday.
He said if the conflict in Ukraine was not brought under control, there may be a follow-up conflict involving China and the region.
“China is monitoring the response of the rest of the world,” he said. If the international response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine is not harsh or strong enough, it would be bad for countries in Southeast Asia.
Former foreign minister Anifah Aman recently made reference to “a superpower that constantly encroaches on our waters affecting lives and livelihoods”.
China has claimed a large swathe of the South China Sea, with published maps showing its borders extending close to Sabah and Sarawak.
China coast guard craft have entered Malaysian waters and 16 Chinese air force planes were forced to turn away in June last year.
Benny said Malaysia had remained neutral in the Ukraine crisis and had not condemned Russia for invading Ukraine nor imposed sanctions on Russia.
He said Malaysia had been “quite pragmatic” in not wanting to lose good relations with Russia, one of Malaysia’s top 30 trading partners, and not wanting to offend western partners.