China's Ministry of Commerce expressed serious concern on Thursday regarding certain provisions of the trade agreement between Malaysia and the United States, following a visit by Malaysian officials to Beijing.
The ministry stated, as reported by Reuters, that China hopes Malaysia will thoroughly examine the matter and handle it appropriately, taking into account its long-term interests.
It also indicated that China welcomes Malaysia resolving disputes with other countries through trade and economic agreements, but stressed that such agreements should not harm China's interests.
This comes after the agreement was signed during President Trump's visit to Kuala Lumpur last week. The agreement commits Malaysia to eliminating or reducing tariffs on some American goods, while Washington pledged to maintain tariffs on Malaysian goods at 19%, with the exception of a list of products subject to reciprocal zero percent tariffs.
But criticism focused on a clause in the agreement, published by the White House, which stipulates that Malaysia is obligated to align with the United States regarding economic restrictions or sanctions imposed on other countries. This means that if Washington decides to ban imports from China or Russia, Malaysia must follow suit.
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