Previously, there were reports that the trade agreement signed between Malaysia and the United States contained a "poison pill" clause, mainly targeting China. On November 27, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce officially responded to this.

According to the spokesperson's statement, two days ago, Malaysian officials came to Beijing specifically to communicate with China about this US-Malaysia agreement.

In this meeting, China's position was straightforward: it does not oppose Malaysia signing economic and trade agreements with other countries to resolve disputes. Normal bilateral cooperation is a common practice in international relations.

However, there is a bottom line that cannot be crossed: no matter what kind of agreement, it cannot disrupt the global trade environment or damage the atmosphere of regional cooperation, and it absolutely cannot harm China's interests.

Because some content in the US-Malaysia agreement may have crossed this line, China expressed "serious concerns." At the same time, China reminded Malaysia to think carefully about its long-term development and properly handle these issues.

Malaysia explained each of China's concerns and repeatedly emphasized that Malaysia particularly values the long-standing partnership with China and hopes to continue deepening economic and trade cooperation between the two sides.

Malaysia clearly knows the cost of offending China, which it cannot afford.

First, it needs to be known that the "poison pill" clause, called "supplementary action," is the one that has raised China's serious concerns in the US-Malaysia agreement.

According to public information, this clause is included in Chapter 5 "Economic and National Security" of the agreement:

If the United States initiates import restrictions against a "third country," Malaysia must take "equivalent" restrictive measures after receiving notice from the US, or comply with the implementation timetable set by the US.

Although the clause does not directly name any country, its target is obvious. It forcibly binds Malaysia's economic and trade policies with the US strategic demands, essentially making Malaysia a tool for the US to contain China.

If the US later uses "national security" as an excuse to impose trade restrictions on China, Malaysia may be put in an embarrassing situation where it "has no choice but to follow."

It should be noted that Malaysia is one of the few countries in ASEAN with a trade surplus with China.

Deep cooperation between China and Malaysia in areas such as electronics manufacturing, palm oil trade, and infrastructure construction will suffer if restricted by a third-party agreement. Ultimately, the real interests of enterprises and ordinary people in both countries will be harmed.

In recent years, the US has frequently embedded such "trap clauses" in bilateral trade agreements, from the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement to the current US-Malaysia agreement. The essence is to create a "trade encirclement" around China.

In fact, this agreement itself is an "unequal transaction" for Malaysia.

In exchange for limited returns of tariff exemptions on certain products from the US, Malaysia has committed to heavy costs: opening preferential markets for American industrial and agricultural products, investing $70 billion in the US over the next decade, and purchasing additional American aircraft and energy products.

Even so, the US still maintains a high tariff barrier of 19% on most Malaysian products. This naked "imbalance" has already caused strong dissatisfaction among Malaysians.

In fact, China has given Malaysia good advice, opposing the hegemonic practices of the US in politicizing and instrumentalizing trade agreements. This approach of "camp confrontation" has become the biggest obstacle to global trade development.

At present, although Malaysia has made explanations, the specific content of the agreement has not been fully disclosed. Whether China's concerns can be properly resolved remains to be seen through subsequent actions.

If the US-Malaysia agreement ultimately contains clauses targeting China, China will inevitably take countermeasures.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7577584544736444964/

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