VLADIVOSTOK: Malaysia is concerned about rising tensions between the US and China but cannot be forced to choose sides, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said in an interview with RIA Novosti and RT, reported Sputnik.

"Yes, there is concern because of this heightening tension between the United States and China, but we cannot be forced to take sides. We are an important partner in terms of trade and investments with the United States, cumulatively still number one. But China is an important player. So we engage more than ever before in all fields in a comprehensive manner," Anwar Ibrahim said on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).

The Eastern Economic Forum began on Tuesday and will run through Friday. It is being hosted by the Far Eastern Federal University in Russia's Pacific coast city of Vladivostok. Sputnik is the general information partner of the EEF 2024.

--BERNAMA-SPUTNIK