Malaysian leader Anwar says China a ‘true friend’ 

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim rejected the notion that China’s dominance is to be feared, calling China a “true friend” at the end of Premier Li Qiang’s visit to mark 50 years of diplomatic ties between their countries.

While the leaders raised some contentious bilateral issues, Mr. Anwar said they discussed them as “equal partners, as trusted friends.” He didn’t give details but likely referred to the prickly issue of overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea.

“People say, well, Malaysia is a growing economy. Don’t let China abuse its privilege and extort from the country. I said no. To the contrary, we want to benefit from one another, learn from one another, and profit from this engagement,” Mr. Anwar told some 200 business leaders at a luncheon attended by Mr. Li.

His words will be welcomed by China’s leadership, which finds itself increasingly at odds with countries from the Philippines to Japan as it grows as a regional power in Asia.

During his visit, Mr. Li held up the “friendship” between China and Malaysia as a positive example of country-to-country relations.