Summary
- Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said trust is increasingly important as geopolitical rivalry and uncertainty grow.
- He said global connectivity creates economic opportunities but also exposes countries to disruptions.
- Chow said dialogue does not require countries to agree on everything, but communication must remain open.
- He described Penang’s multicultural history as evidence that different communities can prosper together without becoming the same.
GEORGE TOWN, September 5 — Trust must become an “infrastructure of cooperation” as countries navigate growing geopolitical rivalry in an increasingly multipolar world, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said Friday.
Opening the Penang Peace Dialogue, Chow said economic and technological connectivity had brought countries closer while also increasing their vulnerability to global disruptions.
He said meaningful dialogue did not require agreement on every issue, but should keep communication open and identify areas for cooperation.
Drawing on Penang’s multicultural history, Chow said different communities could preserve their identities while building a shared future.
“Peace depends not on eliminating our differences,” he said, but on having the trust and wisdom to manage them.
