Malaysia’s Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein is contemplating a trip to China to discuss the newly minted AUKUS alliance between Australia, the United States (U.S.), and the United Kingdom (UK). Malaysian and Indonesian authorities have raised concerns about a potential arms race in the region, which is in contrast to the Philippines government who backed the agreement. “We need to get the views from the leadership of China, especially China’s defence, on AUKUS that was announced by the three countries and what are their actions following the announcement,” Hishammuddin told Malaysia’s Parliament on Sept. 22. “Our strength is not when we are alone. Our strength is when these 10 ASEAN member countries are united to see the position and security of the region be defended,” he said. He went on to say that he had spoken with Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton in recent days and called for more dialogue with …