General Secretary To Lam's visit to Malaysia demonstrates ASEAN-centric approach

According to Thai expert Kavi Chongkittavorn, General Secretary To Lam's visit to Malaysia is significant because it comes at a time when the two ASEAN countries are navigating rapid geopolitical changes.

Article by Thai expert about General Secretary To Lam's visit to Malaysia on Thai PBS website. (Screenshot)

In an article titled "Malaysia and Vietnam Aim to Boost Strategic and Trade Relations" on the English-language website of Thai Public Broadcasting (Thai PBS) on November 22, Thai scholar Kavi Chongkittavorn - an expert from the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University - highlighted Vietnam's approach of taking the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as the center, positioning both countries as key players in balancing external influences in Southeast Asia.

According to scholar Kavi Chongkittavorn, Malaysia recognized Vietnam’s potential early on when it established bilateral relations in 1973, understanding that the region’s overall stability and cooperation would depend on Vietnam’s integration into ASEAN. This gives Malaysia a special place in its historical relationship with Vietnam.

The article highlights that General Secretary To Lam’s visit to Malaysia from November 21 to 23 is significant because it comes at a time when the two ASEAN countries are navigating rapid geopolitical changes. Notably, both countries tend to stay ahead of global trends. Vietnam and Malaysia both adopt a balanced strategy in their relations with major powers while maintaining good regional partnerships.

The article asserts that General Secretary To Lam's visit will significantly promote Vietnam's approach towards ASEAN and its "bamboo diplomacy" policy.

In addition, the article also mentioned economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and Malaysia and the agreements expected to be reached during the visit.

According to the latest investment data, Malaysia is currently the second largest ASEAN investor in Vietnam and ranks 11th among investors in the world, with an investment value of about 13 billion USD.

In terms of two-way trade, Malaysia is Vietnam’s second largest ASEAN trading partner, reaching US$10.63 billion in the first nine months of this year. Both sides hope to achieve a trade target of US$18 billion in the future.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/chuyen-gia-thai-lan-chuyen-tham-malaysia-cua-tong-bi-thu-to-lam-the-hien-cach-tiep-can-lay-asean-lam-trung-tam-294864.html