Malaysia’s trade minister has reaffirmed his country’s commitment to strengthening investment ties with Hong Kong amid worries that the US could impose further punitive measures targeting the city and mainland China.
Tengku Zafrul Aziz, Malaysia’s minister for investment, trade and industry, said on Monday that Asean would continue to engage with the United States while also seeking to soften the blow of Washington’s policy moves by diversifying supply chains.
He was addressing a panel at the South China Morning Post’s China Conference: Southeast Asia 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, with the discussion focusing on the shifting trade dynamics and supply chain disruptions following Donald Trump’s return as US president last month.
Asked about Malaysia’s business commitment to Hong Kong amid concerns over further US measures targeting the city and the mainland, Zafrul said: “We will continue to be non-aligned, neutral … as long as the spillover is positive, our population gets the benefit from our trade and investment relations in Hong Kong.
“No other country should dictate Malaysia’s policy when it comes to trade and investment or even foreign policy.”
Trump signed an executive order earlier this month to impose an additional 10 per cent tariff on Chinese imports, including those from Hong Kong. He also announced plans for customised reciprocal tariffs on all imports last week.
