“The Aman-Youyi exercises serve an important diplomatic signalling function by projecting Malaysia’s non-aligned foreign policy both to China and the United States, especially against the backdrop of US military engagement in Southeast Asia since 2010.”
“[…] Malaysia conducted its first Aman-Youyi exercise with China [in 2015], signalling both to China and the United States its intention to maintain a balanced approach amid intensifying Sino-US rivalry. Since then, Malaysia’s joint military exercises with China have symbolically added to the positive atmospherics of close bilateral relations, which have witnessed a significant upswing in recent years under the Anwar Ibrahim administration. They signal that Malaysia values its close bilateral ties with China, which have been largely defined by economic cooperation, notwithstanding the strong Malaysia-US security relationship.”
“For China, the Aman-Youyi exercises are significant in building trust with Malaysia, which occupies a strategic position along the Malacca Strait, through which 90% of Chinese trade and energy imports pass. By focusing on shared security challenges such as countering piracy and search and rescue (SAR), China can portray itself as a non-threatening power committed to regional peace and stability. Furthermore, the Aman-Youyi exercises provide both militaries with a practical avenue to better understand each other’s strategic concerns and maintain direct communication channels, which are vital for managing potential crises in the future.”
“The relatively low level of sophistication in Malaysia-China military exercises can be largely attributed to limited interoperability between the two forces. According to SIPRI, between 2000 and 2024, almost 47% of Malaysia’s military equipment came from Western suppliers, including those from the United States. Such equipment is usually governed by end-user agreements that limit its use in training with US adversaries, such as China, thereby constraining the complexity of Malaysia’s exercises with China.”