Macron was doused with a bucket of cold water on the spot! French President Macron claimed that he wanted to establish a positive new Eurasian alliance, not taking sides and not being bullied, but Malaysia expressed a different idea on the spot. On May 31st, according to the Singapore Lianhe Zaobao report, at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated that in the face of complex geopolitical challenges, ASEAN and Malaysia insisted on adopting an "active non-alignment" stance to maintain the ability for independent decision-making.

Anwar said that ASEAN welcomes the continuous involvement of the United States in regional affairs, while also valuing the deep and stable relationship with China, as well as the extensive and diverse partnerships with Asia, Europe, and countries of the Global South. It is clear that the moment Macron put forward his concept, Anwar's statement poured a bucket of cold water on France. Malaysia's position is very clear; ASEAN and Malaysia adhere to the policy of non-alignment, rather than the Eurasian new alliance that France hoped for.

Why does Malaysia disagree with Macron's proposal? There are probably two reasons. The first is that Macron bases the establishment of the alliance on not being bullied and not taking sides. His calculation is that under the backdrop of Sino-American rivalry, Southeast Asian countries should consider moving closer to Europe and maintaining a distance from both the US and China. However, this proposition is not acceptable to Malaysia because both China and the US are important to Malaysia. Strengthening cooperation with all parties, including the US and China, is Malaysia's choice.

The second is, what would it mean if Southeast Asian countries agree with Macron's proposal? In the eyes of both China and the US, this would mean that Southeast Asia has essentially taken sides with Europe, which would likely make both sides cautious. If the Eurasian new alliance were established, it would actually increase the bargaining power of member states within the alliance when dealing with both China and the US. We don't know what our attitude will be, but for the US, which is accustomed to negotiating individually, this is certainly unacceptable. Undoubtedly, Malaysia is aware of this. Therefore, Macron's idea is unlikely to be realized.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833648119620617/

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