Prime Minister Mahathir’s various statements about China since his stunning return to power in May 2018 have left the impression that the new Malaysia is now determined to reset its relations with the giant neighbor. This is especially so after the 93-year-old leader made an announcement during his China visit in August that his government is cancelling three controversial Chinese-funded projects in Malaysia. Many observers have been quick to opine that Malaysia under Mahathir 2.0 is pushing back Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, confronting China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea, and resisting Chinese hegemony in the region. This talk refutes this simplistic view. The speaker suggests that the new Malaysia’s approach is still evolving, and it is more nuanced than widely assumed.
Please join us for a lips smacking meal at the city’s famous sizzling ribs restaurant while engaging in an intellectual talk with like-minded folks from Young China Watchers (Singapore Chapter) and Hong Kong Singapore Business Association. What better way of spending an evening than this?
6:30pm Registration
6:45pm Presentation & Q&A; by Speaker
7:15pm Dinner & Networking
8:30pm End
This event is organized jointly by Young China Watchers (Singapore Chapter) and Hong Kong Singapore Business Association.
We invite to discuss.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ycw-sg-dinner-discussion-on-renegotiating-asymmetries-whats-new-in-new-malaysias-china-policy-with-tickets-50349980146
Hong Kong Singapore Business Association
Dr. Kuik Cheng-Chwee
Dr. Kuik Cheng-Chwee is an associate professor at the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS) at Universiti Kebangsaan (the National University of) Malaysia (UKM). He is a co-founder of the East Asian International Relations (EAIR) Caucus, a research platform for exchange, engagement, and empowerment among foreign affairs professionals in Malaysia. Previously he was a postdoctoral research associate at the Princeton-Harvard “China and the World” Program and Oxford’s Department of Politics and International Relations. Dr. Kuik researches and publishes in International Relations and Asian security affairs, with a focus on smaller countries’ foreign policy choices vis-à-vis the big powers. His publications have appeared in international peer-reviewed journals, books, and opinion outlets like International New York Times, The Asan Forum and The Interpreter. Cheng-Chwee is a regular invited speaker to international conferences and closed-door roundtables. He has presented research in leading universities and institutions such as UC Berkeley, the Chatham House, Columbia, Harvard, LSE, Oxford, Qinghua, and Stanford. He serves on the editorial boards of Contemporary Southeast Asia, Australian Journal of International Affairs, and Routledge’s “IR Theory and Practice in Asia” Book Series. He holds an M.Litt. from the University of St. Andrews, and a PhD from the Johns Hopkins University.
