COMMENT | On Sept 17, 2023, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim landed in Nanning, Guangxi for the 20th installation of the China-Asean Expo (Caexpo), where he opened the Malaysian pavilion and met Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

Anwar was on the ground for less than 24 hours. His inaugural trip to China as PM was at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in Hainan and then meeting President Xi Jinping in Beijing in March 2023.

Some have speculated that Anwar’s visit to the Caexpo, traditionally not on the priority list for Malaysia’s premiers...