Kuala Lampur, Aug. 5 -- Amid a shifting and uncertain global order, Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has achieved what few regional leaders have managed: gaining the respect of both China and the United States while elevating Asean diplomacy from ceremonial declarations to substantive peacebuilding. In hosting the historic Cambodian-Thai military talks in Kuala Lumpur, Anwar has not only asserted Malaysia's credibility as Asean Chair, but also demonstrated that principled neutrality, when anchored in regional responsibility, can earn international trust.

The ongoing negotiations at the Malaysian Ministry of Defence between the military leaderships of Cambodia and Thailand mark the first time that defence officials from both sides ...