Malaysian king tells Xi Jinping nation will work with China to keep South China Sea peace

Monarch on Beijing trip says country ‘would like to join hands with China to contribute constructively’ to stability in resource-rich waters

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (left), and Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar pass by an honour guard at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. Photo: AP

Liu Zhenin BeijingandCyril Ipin Shanghai

Published: 11:50pm, 20 Sep 2024Updated: 3:50pm, 21 Sep 2024

Corrected [3:33pm, 21 Sep, 2024]

[3:33pm, 21 Sep, 2024]
A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Queen of Malaysia Raja Zarith Sofiah and Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan attended a welcome ceremony for the Malaysian king in Beijing on Friday. They did not attend.

Malaysia will work with China to keep peace in the South China Sea, Malaysia’s king told Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, according to mainland state media on Friday.

Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar made the pledge during his visit to Beijing in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations, the first trip to China by a Malaysian monarch in 10 years.

Sultan Ibrahim was received by Xi at a welcome ceremony before the meeting on Friday at the Great Hall of the People.

“Malaysia would like to join hands with China to contribute constructively to the maintaining of peace and stability of the South China Sea,” mainland state broadcaster CCTV quoted Sultan Ibrahim as saying.

Why China wants to control much of the South China Sea

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, while Malaysia, as well as the Philippines, Brunei and Vietnam, have overlapping claims.