On July 21, 2026, Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan in Manila, the Philippines.

Noting that both China and Malaysia are at a critical stage of development and revitalization, Wang Yi said China stands ready to seize the opportunities with Malaysia, enhance exchanges at all levels, deepen all-round cooperation, and promote maritime exchanges and collaboration, to jointly elevate China-Malaysia relations to a higher level.

Stressing that ASEAN is an important component of the multi-polarizing world and a key force in the Global South, Wang Yi expressed the hope that Malaysia would effectively fulfill its role as the country coordinator for China-ASEAN relations, safeguard the common interests of both sides, and ensure peace and stability in East Asia.

For his part, Mohamad stated that Malaysia-China relations and ASEAN-China relations are currently at their best in history. He reaffirmed Malaysia's firm commitment to the one-China policy and expressed readiness to make every effort to advance ASEAN-China cooperation and uphold ASEAN's centrality in the regional architecture. Mohamad also noted that some external countries have nothing to do with the South China Sea yet are always keen to "flex their muscles" there. He expressed the hope for an early conclusion of the COC to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the region.