Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has backed away from remarks that appeared to justify China taking Taiwan by force, a retreat that eases tension with Taipei but leaves his credibility bruised.

• In an interview he pushed a one-China line and hinted Taiwan is a breakaway Chinese province, angering people in Taiwan and drawing criticism from Malaysians too.
• A day later he shifted: he said the one-China policy did not start with him, admitted his wording was a problem, and switched to backing a peaceful solution.
• The hard line won him praise from Beijing but no trade or investment payoff, despite years of deepening ties through rail projects, AI, green energy, and Chinese chip firms moving supply chains to Malaysia.
• At home it cost him — protest comments flooded his social media and some said it damaged the human-rights reputation he built as a former political prisoner.
• Taiwan's government warned the remarks could hurt trade, and they risk denting the confidence of Taiwanese tech companies investing in Malaysia.

Outlook: The quick reversal points to an off-the-cuff blunder rather than a strategic shift, so Kuala Lumpur is likely to settle back into its previous quiet balancing act between Beijing and Taipei.