Secretary of the Malaysia-China Friendship Tan Kai Hee says the basic principles behind China's foreign policy since Admiral Zheng visited the Melaka sultanate in the 15th century, has been peace and good neighbourliness.

Question: What is your assessment of Tun Abdul Razak? Do you think without the normalisation of relations between the United States and China in 1972, would he have been psychologically at ease to approach China?

Tan:

You are right. Since everybody was trying to befriend China then, what's wrong for us (to do the same)? Of course, US-China diplomatic relations was not instantly established during or even immediately after President Nixon's visit to Beijing in 1972.

The visit took place in the context of mutual concerns of both the United States and China. There were the Vietnam War and the problem of the Soviet Union. In all triangular relations, one must always make friends with another in order to check and balance the third component. China always practices this strategy.

When the United States was close to China, the Soviet Union would try to get even closer to the US. Similarly, if the US was close to the Soviet Union, China would do likewise. When and if the US was not in good terms with China, the Soviet Union would court China. This is the dynamics of international relations. This is called the balance of power.