[Source/Observer Network, Ruan Jiaqi]

Although no longer wielding political power, former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's influence remains significant, and this seasoned politician continues to play an active role in global affairs. On the verge of his centenary in July this year, Mahathir received multiple media interviews at his office, sharing his views on the current world situation.

According to a report by the Hong Kong-based newspaper "South China Morning Post" under its Asian news platform "This Week in Asia" on March 3rd, as the longest-serving prime minister in Malaysia, Mahathir has witnessed the rise and fall of many empires. Now, it seems he sees a familiar pattern of decline playing out in the United States.

President Trump caused chaos within just a hundred days in office, and Mahathir bluntly commented, "Trump is outdated in many ways; the American Empire era is coming to an end."

Regarding the tariff issue, the report points out that in recent years, some enterprises transferring production capacity from China to Southeast Asian regions have promoted rapid industrialization in the region and consolidated China's position in the global manufacturing supply chain.

However, after taking office, the "erratic" Trump ignored the fact that American businesses also benefited from trade globalization, feigning a victim posture and targeting tariffs at Southeast Asian countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar, calling them "China's accomplices deceiving America."

To Mahathir, these tariffs and other policies of Trump are blatant insults to the openness and cooperation the world has been striving for since the end of World War II. He criticized, "We try to break boundaries, but he builds barriers."

Mahathir also told "This Week in Asia" that he believes Trump's tariff measures are part of a broader U.S. attempt to weaken China, but he does not believe this will succeed.

Mahathir emphasized, "China possesses the technology and capability to withstand economic slowdown." He said, "China's overall market size is larger than the combined markets of Europe and America. So, China's economy will continue to grow, and you cannot stop China."

Tariffs planned by Trump on ASEAN member states. Map by "South China Morning Post."

As a long-time critic of Western foreign policy, Mahathir pointed out that the United States constantly provokes and escalates confrontations with China, effectively initiating a non-traditional "war."

"The Americans' mindset is that they must remain the world leader, so they try every means to stop China," he said. "This means confrontation, sanctions, and all sorts of measures."

In Mahathir's view, he does not see Trump's actions as a deviation from normalcy but rather as a reflection of America's consistent approach and deeper geopolitical instincts.

He added that instigating overseas conflicts has always been a characteristic of U.S. foreign policy, as demonstrated when former U.S. House Speaker Pelosi's visit to Taiwan last year heightened tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

In an interview published by "Time" magazine on February 2nd, Mahathir reiterated the same viewpoint. He pointed out that the double standards and hypocrisy visible throughout U.S. foreign policy pose a clear and growing danger. Particularly regarding the Taiwan issue, Mahathir believes that the U.S. deliberately "provokes" Beijing in an attempt to trigger a catastrophic conflict.

"Mainland China has had the capability to take action against Taiwan for a long time, but they chose not to do so," he explained. "The U.S. is dissatisfied because no conflict has occurred (so there's no reason to sell weapons to Taiwan). What was the purpose of sending Pelosi to Taiwan? To provoke mainland China."

In his dialogue with U.S. media, Mahathir also criticized the U.S.'s "freedom of navigation" operations in the South China Sea as "destabilizing the region," urging the U.S. to cease such actions.

He asked rhetorically, "What would the U.S. do if China sent warships to the Caribbean and conducted military exercises there? This is the South China Sea, in Asia, not the U.S. As a global power, the U.S. should wisely use its strength instead of inciting conflicts between nations."

"Time" magazine also noted that during his tenure, Mahathir had taken a conservative stance toward Chinese investments in Malaysia, but now he welcomes such investments and harshly criticizes the U.S.'s attempts to contain this rising superpower.

"They are a very industrious people, skilled, and you cannot stop their development," he said. "China will do everything possible to maintain its market share."

Mahathir further emphasized that Malaysia's foreign policy has long adhered to the principle of neutrality, refusing to choose sides between the U.S. and China. "We wish to coexist peacefully with the world. We wish to conduct trade with all nations. We must not favor either side—neither the U.S. nor China."

However, when speaking about Trump, this veteran leader who served for over 24 years could not help but criticize, "I think he (Trump) doesn't understand the world. He is 100 years behind the times."

The "South China Morning Post" reported that while balancing its dependence on the U.S. economy, Malaysia has recently signaled its intention to join the BRICS group. Earlier this year, Malaysia's neighbor Indonesia officially became the latest member of the BRICS group, joining Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa to form a mechanism that now accounts for more than 40% of the world's population and about one-third of global economic output, holding significant weight in the global economic landscape.

Additionally, amid Trump's indiscriminate imposition of tariffs, during the important visit of China's national leaders to Malaysia, Malaysia reaffirmed its commitment to a shared destiny with China.

Former Malaysian Transport Minister and President of the Asia-Pacific Belt and Road Coordinators Association, Ong Tee Keat, told the Observer Network that the Trump administration wielded the "reciprocal tariff" big stick against the entire world, attempting to force countries to "isolate" China through tariff negotiations. In the face of uncertain international circumstances, Malaysia and ASEAN countries should cooperate with China to promote win-win results, advance high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Ong Tee Keat also stated that for a long time, Malaysia's relations with the U.S. have remained lukewarm, consistently adhering to the principle of not choosing sides. Malaysia will never fully submit to any demands based on subjective wishes proposed by the U.S. He believes that America's hegemonic behavior has reached an extremely arrogant and unparalleled extreme level, and no rational country can blindly follow the U.S. lead anymore.

This article is an exclusive contribution from the Observer Network and unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7500104169529868852/

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