CANBERRA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said he does not accept the "fatalistic view of the world" that major-power rivalry has become a structural feature of regional affairs and nothing can be done to moderate it.
"Working on our respective strengths and unique relationships with the major countries of this region, "we can achieve something of profound consequence for the Asia Pacific," he pointed out.
Anwar was addressing more than 500 students on the topic "Navigating Geopolitical Currents: Malaysia and Australia's pivotal role in Asia Pacific' in his public lecture at the 2024 Gareth Evans Oration at the Australian National University (ANU) here.
He said the region's responses to the rise of China will be a critical determinant of whether the region will be characterised by détente or discord.
"To tailor our strategies effectively, we need to adopt a measure of empathy; to put ourselves in their shoes; to see how others see us.
"For the leaders of China, it is only natural for them to be more forthright in asserting their interests. A growing economy naturally leads to greater diplomatic influence and a more formidable military.
"In their eyes, the adverse reactions to China's rise – militarily, economically and technologically – represent nothing less than an attempt to deny their legitimate place in history, he said.
Anwar said the obstacles being placed against China's economic and technological advancement will only further accentuate such grievances.
"Nevertheless, while we are confronted with a situation of contending perceptions, I do not for one moment suggest that we may turn a blind eye to behaviour or action that is not in consonance with international law and norms," he added.
Anwar explained that "it is also crucial that we understand the profound changes that have taken place in the United States. The past thirty years have been a period in which key parts of the American industrial base have been thoroughly hollowed out".
"The collapse of the working class in the United States is one of the most consequential societal shifts of our era.
"Globalisation has not worked for them in the way it has for workers of Asia. The long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have exacted an immense toll on the psyche of the people. The upshot is a preference for leaders who are more transactional with the rest of the world – those who profess to put America first.
Anwar also said that "we are also going through fundamental shifts in global assumptions about what societies should aspire to be."
"For over 150 years, at least since the Meiji Restoration of 1868, it became the immutable truth that to be modern or even civilised was to become Western.
"Today, a chasm is developing between what we now call the Global North and the Global South.
"We, therefore, need to start accepting that the Global South now see multiple pathways for advancing their societies – and not just those prescribed and endorsed by the Global North. Accordingly, we should not take for granted that Western perspectives on the future world order would be embraced universally."
Anwar said there is growing impatience with how global institutions are failing to reform themselves.
Designed in the aftermath of the Second World War, the United Nations Security Council and the Bretton Woods institutions reflect a world that is now long gone, he said, adding that the Washington Consensus is gradually eroding, if not altogether disappeared.
"We should therefore not be surprised when forums such as BRICS start to gain purchase. If one avenue for asserting new realities is impeded, others will take its place.
"But we should be wary when these take the form of mini-lateralism, because it could have the unintended consequence of fomenting suspicions rather than bridging differences. It is therefore crucial that we look at ways to enhance multilateral institutions and other arrangements that are inclusive by design."
Anwar said there can be no easy and straightforward responses to the present circumstances, for they are immensely complex.
"They are rooted in vexed questions about the rightful place of societies in the world and in history, their dignity, and their livelihoods. It boils down to fundamental questions of values and identity."
For many countries, he said, a natural response to these changes is to build their defences and strengthen their network of strategic relationships.
"For Australia, this has principally manifested itself in building a more potent naval capability. We will also chart new paths for expanding bilateral ties in areas such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, he said.
At the same time, he said, he believed that Malaysia and Australia have a duty to try their utmost to encourage the United States, China and other major players in the Asia Pacific to conduct themselves in a manner that is conducive to the enhancement of regional cooperation and economic integration.
"I therefore invite Malaysia's key partners, including Australia of course, to work closely with us on revitalising regional cooperation and integration," he said.– BERNAMA