Taiwan has confirmed it has suspended bilateral investment negotiations with Malaysia, after comments by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim about Taiwan's status. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the freeze on 10 November 2026, saying the talks — originally scheduled for late October — were paused to safeguard the island's national sovereignty, economic security and the rights of Taiwanese investors. [Scoop](https://www.scoop.my/news/302691/taipei-freezes-malaysia-trade-talks-over-anwars-pro-beijing-gaffe/) ## What triggered the freeze The fallout stems from an interview Anwar gave to Al Jazeera in August, in which he said he saw Taiwan "as part of China, period" and declined to condemn China for using force to reunify the island. Taipei condemned the remarks at the time, saying Anwar had "absurdly implied that Taiwan is a separatist Chinese province and openly rationalized China's stance on taking Taiwan by force". Nikkei Asia first reported on Monday that the expanded trade talks had been shelved. [Taipei Times](https://www.europesays.com/3366554/) ## What happens next Foreign Ministry spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei said Taipei had previously registered serious concern over the remarks, warning they could undermine Taiwanese businesses' confidence in investing in Malaysia. He added that communication channels remain open, and Taipei hopes Kuala Lumpur will recognise the importance of the bilateral investment relationship so the talks can eventually resume. The freeze has raised concern in Malaysia's semiconductor sector, where Taiwanese firms including Foxconn and ASE Technology have invested heavily, and business groups have warned that any perceived erosion of Malaysia's neutrality could push tech investment towards regional rivals such as Vietnam and Thailand.