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Malaysia Raises 2026 Defense Budget, South China Sea Priority

Malaysia raises 2026 defense budget and will spend $5.15 billion in 2026, linking the buildup to South China Sea operations, officials said Saturday. “This is particularly important as we face various challenges, including those in the South China Sea,” Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said on ...

China’s COMAC in Advanced Talks With AirAsia on Jet Sales

China’s state-linked planemaker COMAC is in advanced talks with Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia to sell narrow-body jets. “We’re in active discussions. I can confirm that,” AirAsia Tony Fernandes said. “We are very serious about COMAC. We’re excited. It’s ...

China–Malaysia in Rare Earths Refinery Talks, With Tech Transfer

China and Malaysia are in early talks on a rare-earth processing project. The potential collaboration could involve Chinese state-linked firms partnering with Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional to build a refinery in Malaysia, according to people familiar with the discussions.

China Starts Pitching Car Factory System to Set ASEAN Standards

China’s auto manufacturers are moving from exporting vehicles to exporting manufacturing systems, technology platforms, and standards into ASEAN, using localized rollouts (right-hand models, local partners) to anchor market entry. SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW) used the 22nd ASEAN Expo to shift its ...

Spike in Chinese Oil Imports from Indonesia Sparks Iran Rumors

A surge in oil imports from Indonesia to China over the last two months has sparked allegations that China may be importing sanctioned Iranian oil via the Southeast Asian country. Since July, China has imported 2.7 million tons of crude oil ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

How to Lure Chinese Financing Back to the Global South: Report

Global South countries face increasing financing pressure, endangering their ability to keep developing while also implementing measures to deal with a growing climate crisis. The disruption of global trade is coupled with a larger megatrend: flows of international capital to the developing world have turned negative. This means that countries are now routinely paying more to service loans than they receive in disbursements.

The vast majority of Global South borrowers ...

China-Backed Free Trade Giant RCEP Mulls Expansion and Upgrade

China-backed trade platform in Asia, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), will return to the leaders’ level in October for the first time since 2020. Malaysia, the summit host, says the 15-economy pact will consider targeted upgrades and weigh applications ...

China and the U.S. Put Malaysia’s ASEAN-First Neutrality to the Test

China is Malaysia’s largest trading partner, and the United States is its biggest export market. Kuala Lumpur says it will keep both close. Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz calls the approach “pragmatic neutrality,”. ...

China–ASEAN FTA 3.0 Set for October: All On Digital Trade Rules

China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN will sign an upgrade to their free-trade agreement at the ASEAN–China summit in Kuala Lumpur in October. The deal sets digital trade, from e-commerce to data governance and payments, ...

China–Malaysia ‘ASEAN Express’ Rail Cuts Transit to 9 Days

China’s inland metropolis of Chongqing is now physically connected with Malaysia through a rail corridor branded the “ASEAN Express,” routed via Laos and Thailand. According to the latest media report on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, operators told the route ...

China–Indonesia Launch Yuan–Rupiah Settlements, QR Payments

China and Indonesia on Thursday launched a local-currency settlement framework for bilateral transactions. Both countries also began a two-way trial of cross-border QR code payments. The central bank chiefs called the steps important milestones. Bank Indonesia said the local-currency scheme ...

China’s Overseas Bullet Train: Malaysians Still Top Foreign Riders

China’s first overseas high-speed rail in Indonesia, the Whoosh bullet train, is carrying a steady flow of foreign passengers, and Malaysians continue to account for the largest share, the operator said. In less than two years since its inauguration in ...

Malaysia Opens First EV Plant with Backing from China’s Geely

Malaysia’s Proton launched its first electric vehicle assembly plant on Thursday with backing from China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. The country aims to position itself as a regional hub for EV production. The facility is located in the Automotive High-Tech ...
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