Malaysia–Soviet Union relations

Malaysia–Soviet Union relations

Malaysia
Soviet Union

Malaysia–Soviet Union relations refers to the historical relationship between Malaysia and the Soviet Union.

History

Despite Malaysia first early anti-communist foreign policy due to the Malayan Emergency, Malaysia later established diplomatic relations with Soviet Union in 1968.[1] Following the establishment of relations, Malaysia expanded its relations to other Soviet influence countries such as Poland, Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the German Democratic Republic and Yugoslavia.[1] During the time, the Soviet also keen to develop the relations by promoting Russian culture with a co-operation such as exchanging on the radio and television programmes, artists and in educational field.[1] However, during the Cold War period, the relations later were cautious by Malaysia when they concerned about the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, the Soviet role on the Vietnam War and the Soviet intervention in the Indian Ocean which may could lead to the domino theories.[1]

Economic relations

Although Soviet Union became the main support to the Malayan Communists, it also became the main purchaser of Malayan rubber and displaced the United States as the largest purchaser of natural rubber with 134,000 tons purchased between January–July 1963 compared to the United States with only 96,000 tons.[2] However, all the purchases were made through the London market to avoiding the friction with Indonesia and the purchasing activity.[3] In 1967, Malaysia also signed a trade agreement with the Soviet Union which consider as the country first agreement with a communist countries, and as a prelude to full diplomatic relations.[4]

Further reading

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Christoph Marcinkowski; Constance Chevallier-Govers; Ruhanas Harun (2011). Malaysia and the European Union: Perspectives for the Twenty-First Century. LIT Verlag Münster. pp. 40–. ISBN 978-3-643-80085-5.
  2. ↑ Geoffrey Jukes (1 January 1973). The Soviet Union in Asia. University of California Press. pp. 302–. ISBN 978-0-520-02393-2.
  3. ↑ Geoffrey Jukes (1 January 1973). The Soviet Union in Asia. University of California Press. pp. 254–. ISBN 978-0-520-02393-2.
  4. ↑ Jayaratnam Saravanamuttu (2010). Malaysia's Foreign Policy: The First Fifty Years : Alignment, Neutralism, Islamism. Institute of Southeast Asian. pp. 99–. ISBN 978-981-4279-79-6.