He said Malaysia cannot be seen as leaning towards any bloc, but must maintain a neutral stance for the sake of the country’s stability and interests, Bernama reported.

“We practise good balance. We are a trading nation, and our economy is based on trade. We cannot be seen to be leaning towards any party. The US is the biggest investor in our country, while China is Malaysia’s largest trading partner,” he said at a press conference following the conclusion of the Asean foreign ministers’ meeting today.

Mohamad said the neutral policy is in line with Malaysia’s commitments under Asean’s zone of peace, freedom and neutrality.

“We are in a zone of peace. Therefore, we cannot be seen to lean towards any side, and that is our approach in balancing relations with all major powers,” he said.

When asked about the outcome of the Asean-US meeting on Thursday, Mohamad said the discussions focussed more on regional security issues and long-term cooperation. At a post-ministerial conference, “we discussed the South China Sea issue and how the US, as a major power, needs to play a discerning role in this region”, he said.

On the issue of tariffs imposed by the US on several Asean countries, Mohamad said the matter would be discussed bilaterally, with partners such as the UK and the US.