[Tee tiong huat]

Malaysia was amongst the very first nations that President Xi Jinping of China visited when his country looks like it is going to be embroiled with a bitter trade war with America, that will likely pit the top two nations in the world against each other. That we are amongst the first countries that he visited brims with meaning.. Before you enter a conflict with a powerful opponent, the first people you will meet are your closest allies – your closest allies are the ones, outside of your immediate family or nation, whose relationship with you is without a doubt.

The three countries that President Xi visited, all were in Southeast Asia. Of the three, Malaysia is the only one that is not influenced by communism. Vietnam, the other country that President Xi visited, is still a communist country. Cambodia, the third country that President Xi visited, although no longer fully communist, has a long history with communist, with its ruling party, the long serving Cambodian People's Party (CPP), highly influenced by the communist ideology.

From this fact alone we can see that if China’s and America’s dispute escalates, China will likely call upon SEA nations as the first region to take its side.

Some SEA nations like Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos, are likely SEA nations that it will expect to take its side, on account of ideological bonds, but Malaysia is nation that it will expect to take its side, simply because China might see its relationship with Malaysia as "special", on account of the long and cherished relationship that the dragon has had with the mousedeer, that transcends ideological kinship and the ebb and flow of international geopolitics.