Malaysia and China are reportedly looking to jointly build a harbor in the Strait of Malacca, according to media reports. The news came at a very sensitive time, as heightened tensions among China and some Southeast Asian countries over territorial claims in the South China Sea have attracted the attention of the world.

What's noteworthy is that media reports claimed it was Malaysia - a country that has been embroiled in territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea - that initially invited Beijing to participate in construction of the harbor, a move expected to help China find a way out of the Strait of Malacca dilemma that has long plagued  China's importers and exporters. Malaysia claimed its interest in partnering with China for the harbor project lies in the fact that around 80 percent of the ships sailing through the Malacca Strait are bound for China. But there is speculation that Malaysia's initiative is designed as political posturing during the sensitive time before a ruling in the South China Sea Arbitration initiated by the Philippines against China is announced on July 12 as scheduled.

Not everyone agrees with this speculation, but one thing is clear: Despite escalated territorial disputes in the region, Southeast Asian countries still hope that China can play an important role in promoting regional development.

Sound long-term growth in trade and investment between China and Southeast Asian countries has made the close economic relationship between China and its southern neighbors widely known. But this tells only part of the story. It is now clear that China has participated actively in regional cooperation, especially in the area of improving infrastructure construction.

China has been involved in a variety of infrastructure projects in Asia and is keen to help build land passages such as a high-speed railway line linking Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Such efforts are noteworthy because there seems to be a yawning infrastructure funding gap in Asian countries, including the Philippines. In an economic agenda announced last month, the new Philippine government gave priority to objectives including investment in infrastructure.

It is unlikely that China and Southeast Asian countries will really become hostile despite territorial disputes. The South China Sea dispute has been greatly complicated by US intervention, but economic ties among Asian countries and their new cooperation on infrastructure projects such as the joint construction of the Malacca Strait harbor illuminates the complexity of the issue from another angle.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. bizopinion@globaltimes.com.cn