Malaysia’s deputy prime minister personally visited Beijing, seeking no weapons, no money—only a Chinese weather satellite system to save lives.
During his visit to China, Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Zahid said in Beijing: “We recognize that China possesses more advanced and precise technology.” What he sought was not just any system, but China’s meteorological satellite early-warning network—specifically to counter the annual northeast monsoon floods that strike Malaysia from November to March each year.
The context behind this move is still a wound that has not fully healed. In December 2021, Malaysia experienced one of its worst flood disasters on record: over 50 deaths, 400,000 displaced, and economic losses amounting to $1.5 billion. The most industrialized state, Selangor, suffered catastrophic damage—factories, homes, and infrastructure submerged and destroyed.
Zahid himself chairs the National Disaster Management Committee. He knows better than anyone that Malaysia’s current meteorological systems are inadequate when the monsoon season arrives each year.
Yet what is more significant is not merely Malaysia’s need for improved early warning systems—but why the deputy prime minister traveled personally to discuss it, and why China was chosen.
Zahid’s official agenda during his visit to China included trade, investment, vocational education, and combating transnational cybercrime. Disaster early warning was only one item among many. Yet he singled out satellite cooperation for public comment, emphasizing “the need for swift delivery.” A deputy prime minister traveling to Beijing to follow up on the delivery timeline of a meteorological satellite system speaks volumes about Kuala Lumpur’s urgency.
More critically, Malaysia does have alternatives. In late 2024, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) was involved in a collaboration with NASA using the SMAP satellite to monitor soil moisture levels across Malaysia, supporting flood forecasting. American technology is not unavailable. But Zahid made clear in Beijing that “China’s system is more mature.”
In recent years, China’s Fengyun meteorological satellite system has already been operational across Southeast Asia. The Guangxi Meteorological Bureau has used Fengyun satellites to provide real-time meteorological data services to ASEAN countries, including Thailand and Malaysia. Malaysia is seeking something immediately usable—not a research memorandum or academic partnership.
At the same time, Malaysia is systematically shifting toward Eastern technology partnerships. Last month, reports surfaced that the Malaysian government was considering adopting Huawei’s Ascend AI chips for a national sovereign AI project, despite strong warnings from U.S. officials. If realized, Malaysia would become the first government worldwide to publicly adopt Chinese AI chips. From AI chips to meteorological satellites, the trajectory of Kuala Lumpur’s technological choices is unmistakable: driven by pragmatism, it shows no hesitation in deepening technical reliance on China.
For Malaysia, flooding remains an annual threat with loss of life. The reckoning from the 2021 disaster has barely concluded, and the next monsoon season is already approaching. A satellite-based early warning system is not a geopolitical tool—it is a matter of life and death. China offers it. Malaysia accepts it. The transaction proceeds.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1879007748501516/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author.