KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 (CNA) - Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Friday (Mar 31) that the Southeast Asian nation will not allow any big power to dictate its decisions and future direction.

“Nobody should dictate us. As a free and independent nation, we will decide what is best for us,” Mr Anwar was quoted as saying by Bernama on the third day of his official visit to China.

“And we decide based on core values and principles, which are to make sure that we have good governance and policies that will benefit the country and the people.”

He added: “We should also maintain this position in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) because ASEAN was set up as a free and neutral zone.”

Mr Anwar was responding to a question on the rivalry between China and the United States during a public lecture at the renowned Tsinghua University in Beijing, following his attendance at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in Hainan.

Inaugurated in 2001, BFA aims to promote common development through regional economic integration.

On Malaysia’s relationship with China, Mr Anwar reportedly said that Malaysia does not see China as a competitor nor a threat, even if some disagreements exist between the two countries.

“Since there is no outright threat from China, we are happy to be a good neighbour, a friend and to benefit from their success,” he said.

He added that Malaysia wants to build excellent relationships with all countries, including China and the US.

China and the US, said Mr Anwar, must also understand that the dynamic of international diplomacy today has changed and that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict is affecting the whole world.

“The period of colonisation and new imperialism is gone. No country can dictate (another). People want to assert their independence and decide what is best for themselves and their country,” he said, according to Bernama.

This is Mr Anwar’s first visit to China as Malaysia’s prime minister. His participation in the BFA coincides with the 10th anniversary of the elevation of the Malaysia-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership since 2013 which seeks to strengthen bilateral ties between the two nations.