BAHASA MELAYU A DIPLOMATIC ASSET IN MALAYSIA-CHINA RELATIONS - ANALYST

By Muhammad Saufee Rosman Dan Ahmad Idzwan Arzmi

KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 (Bernama) -- As Malaysia and China marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations last year, Bahasa Melayu is emerging as a strategic diplomatic asset to further strengthen bilateral ties, particularly through people-to-people exchanges, economic cooperation, and regional engagement.

Since establishing diplomatic ties in 1974, both nations have cultivated strong relations across various sectors, including trade, culture, and education. Among the initiatives is the establishment of the Chair of Malay Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) in 2007, which was renamed the Sultan Ibrahim Malay Studies Chair in 2024.

With increasing interest in language and cultural exchange, promoting mutual understanding through these elements is now viewed as a vital instrument of soft power and long-term cooperation.

Principal Adviser at the Pacific Research Centre of Malaysia Dr Oh Ei Sun said the initiative also aligned with the key objectives of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), particularly the pillar of people-to-people connectivity, alongside infrastructure development and investment facilitation.

“As language is the soul of culture, such exchanges would deepen these ties,” he told Bernama recently, adding that this effort could help build a more practical and effective foundation for sustained collaboration.

When asked whether Malaysia’s effort to promote the Malay language in China should be seen as a soft power strategy, he opined that the effort could at the very least produce more Malay speakers in China, which would in turn facilitate future bilateral engagements in areas such as the economy, communication, and tourism.

Previously, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, highlighted the growing importance of student exchanges between Malaysia and China, with plans to send more Malaysian students to China to foster educational and cultural ties.

His Majesty also expressed his support for the promotion of the Sultan Ibrahim Malay Studies Chair at BFSU, stressing that language played a key role in enhancing bilateral relations and fostering deeper mutual understanding.

To ensure the success of the initiative, Oh emphasised the need for comprehensive language training courses, immersion programmes, and internships to deliver tangible outcomes.

“Such language learning is not something new. China welcomes these efforts from Malaysia as they aim to train up more Chinese speakers of Southeast Asian languages,” he added.

Echoing this view, Malay Linguistics Programme Coordinator at University of Malaya, Assoc Prof Dr Salinah Ja’afar, said the rise of Chinese investment in Southeast Asia had contributed to a growing demand for professionals fluent in Bahasa Melayu.

“In fact, China’s education policy encourages the mastery of multiple foreign languages, including ASEAN languages, which supports initiatives like the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (referring to the BRI introduced by President Xi Jinping in 2013).

She added that this trend was also influencing the education sector, with more Chinese institutions offering Malaysia-related programmes, in turn driving greater interest among students from both countries in academic exchanges.

“The growing appreciation of Malay culture in China, such as interest in music, film, and literature, has fuelled enrolment in Malay language courses and programmes, helping to expand bilateral ties.

“Teaching Bahasa Melayu in China is no longer a localised phenomenon but reflects a global recognition of regional linguistic and cultural diversity,” she said, while stressing the importance of showcasing the potential of Bahasa Melayu during the ASEAN Summit chaired by Malaysia this year.

Sharing a media perspective, a journalist from China Media Group (CMG), Ahmad Fawzan Azmie Abdul Halil, said demand for Bahasa Melayu content existed in China, particularly among students and individuals who had lived in Malaysia.

Therefore, to further strengthen language and cultural exchanges between Malaysia and China through media platforms, he said joint productions and journalist exchange programmes were high-impact strategies to enhance cross-cultural understanding and build long-term trust between the two nations.

“I believe the future of language and cultural exchange between Malaysia and China through media channels is very promising, especially with support through open policies, comprehensive cooperation, and other initiatives. Even workforce exchanges across sectors enable industry players to better understand each other, especially by fostering positive perspectives between both nations,” he said.

-- BERNAMA