Term 'elder brother' shows respect for Wang Yi - Hishammuddin

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said that the term ‘elder brother’ he used at a joint press conference with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, was a sign of him being respectful to the latter.

In his Twitter post today, Hishammuddin explained that the phrase that he used was not referring to Malaysia-China bilateral relations, as strong ties were based on mutual trust and equality.

“Respecting that Wang Yi is older, and a more senior Foreign Minister, hence, an ‘elder brother’ to me personally. Being respectful does not signify weakness.

“Rest assured that Malaysia remains independent, principled and pragmatic in terms of our foreign policy, founded on the values of peace, humanity, justice and equality. We will continue to contribute meaningfully towards a just and equitable community of nations,” he said.

Earlier, PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had criticised Hishammuddin for using the term 'big brother’ and described it as an insult to Malaysia.

According to Anwar, such a description was not appropriate in the world of diplomatic and international relations.

-- BERNAMA