It wasn’t exactly drummed up by the Western mainstream media when at a conference in Tokyo late last week the nonagenarian prime minister of Malaysia became the mouthpiece of Huawei and practically defended the company against what he called American threats. Mahathir Mohamed is on the record of lauding Huawei’s advance over American technology and claiming that his country will welcome and use its equipment “as much as possible”.
According to Mahathir America will have to accept that it cannot forever be the supreme nation with the best technology and that top research and development capabilities can now also be found in the East. While countries like Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada have already obliged with pressure from Washington and taken measures to avoid Huawei equipment as they are in the process of introducing their 5G mobile networks, Malaysia has just shot the opening salvo of running a counter campaign.
Mahathir’s comments were definitive. Malaysia will make use of China’s research capabilities to improve the country’s security and employ expertise in artificial intelligence and e-commerce to enhance the economy’s competitiveness. He outright dismissed concerns over alleged espionage activities. If one didn’t know any better, the prime minister could have been seen to be keen to mobilise against a hypocritical Washington, as he put it.
It will be interesting to see whether Mahathir is getting the ball rolling for others to step forward and declare themselves with regards to this sensitive matter. Most countries have been trying to dodge the issue and keep flying under the radar, neither to draw the wrath of Washington nor to lose their status with Beijing. If I was a betting man, it will only be a matter of time before others join in the chorus and stand by what they believe anyway, namely that Huawei tech will be good for their countries’ developments.
After a good part of the Western world has already spurned Huawei, Beijing will keep targeting the rest as well as much of the Global South, ie Central Asia, Turkey, South, and South East Asia, and Africa – in essence, every country and region relevant for the BRI in order to expand the Chinese ecosystem on the basis of similar tech standards. Malaysia is crucial for the Belt and Road in their region, and so are neighbouring Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Myanmar. Let’s watch this space carefully.
At the same time, the endorsement will certainly not have come for free. Mahathir had halted the billion-dollar rail project connecting the southern part of his country with Thailand, Laos, and ultimately China, which had been commenced by his detested predecessor. In the meantime, however, he successfully renegotiated the deal, very much to Malaysia’s financial advantage. Also, it can be assumed that he has lured China’s heavyweights like Huawei and Alibaba to make considerable investments.
Mahathir’s approach may well serve as an encouragement and a blueprint for others who are still sitting on the fences. Eventually, the world is likely to bifurcate over the Huawei issue which is to neither party’s advantage. In any case, China can be slowed down but it cannot be held back. The country will need and claim its space on the planet, no matter what existential orientations America’s may or may not be violated.
