MALAYSIAN Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s recent reaffirmation that Taiwan is part of China has drawn a strong reaction from Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), with experts saying the episode highlights the longstanding international acceptance of the one-China principle.
In an interview with Al Jazeera released on Aug 16, Anwar said, “I see Taiwan as part of China, period. You may disagree with there are some excesses. Yes, express your view, but it must be in the context. It is one China. It is accepted by all.”
The Malaysian Prime Minister was responding to a question about China’s position that it could resort to force if peaceful reunification with Taiwan failed.
Anwar drew a comparison with Malaysia, saying that if any part of the country attempted to separate, it would be his responsibility to protect its territorial integrity.
When asked by the host, “So, you would use force?” Anwar replied, “Yes,” adding that otherwise Malaysia could risk becoming fragmented.
His remarks prompted Taiwan’s regional external affairs department to issue a statement on Tuesday describing Anwar’s comments on Taiwan as “false” and accusing him of openly seeking to justify the mainland’s use of force to achieve reunification.
However, Zheng Jian, a professor at the Graduate Institute for Taiwan Studies at Xiamen University, said Anwar’s comments, including his position on China’s possible use of all means to resolve the Taiwan question, reflected the international consensus surrounding the one-China principle.
Speaking to the Global Times on Wednesday, Zheng said the remarks also reaffirmed principles contained in the UN Charter and international law.
He argued that the Taiwan question is an internal matter for China and that sovereign states have the right to safeguard their territorial integrity. He added that condoning separatist actions in Taiwan could establish a problematic precedent for countries facing similar separatist challenges.
Taiwan’s regional authorities also claimed that Anwar’s position in support of the Chinese mainland could undermine the confidence of Taiwanese businesses investing in Malaysia.
Zheng dismissed the potential economic and trade consequences of such a position, describing Taiwan’s warnings as having limited influence.
He said Taiwan does not control any critical lifelines of Malaysia’s economy, while Malaysia has alternative economic channels and trading partners. As such, he characterised the threats as largely verbal posturing.
According to Zheng, the strong reaction from the DPP reflects its dependence on international backing. Statements from foreign leaders that contradict the DPP’s preferred narrative of broad international support for Taiwan could weaken its domestic messaging and explain its sharp response.
He also pointed to recent joint military exercises between China and Indonesia, arguing that the development had created additional pressure on the DPP authorities.
Zheng said the actions of China and Indonesia, both important countries along the “first island chain”, had created a gap in the denial-and-deterrence framework involving the US, Japan and Taiwan, delivering a strategic setback to “Taiwan independence” forces.
“The more the DPP provokes and hypes up issues, the more international developments unfavorable to ‘Taiwan independence’ will emerge. If the DPP continues down the doomed and erroneous path of ‘independence,’ there will be more occasions in the future when it finds itself rattled,” Zheng said.—Aug 19, 2026
Main image: The Star
