Malaysia to investigate media leak of classified diplomatic note from China

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's foreign ministry said on Wednesday it would file a police report and carry out an internal investigation into the leak of a classified diplomatic note sent by China's foreign ministry to the Malaysian embassy in Beijing in February.

The note was published in an article by a Philippine media outlet on Aug. 29, the ministry said, without elaborating on the contents.

Philippine news outlet The Inquirer on that date reported China had sent a two-page document to the Malaysian embassy in Beijing in February, asserting that Kuala Lumpur's oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea infringed on China's sovereignty.

Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the document.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea as its territory based on historic maps, including parts of the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, complicating energy exploration efforts by several of those countries.

"The ministry views the leak of this document, which constitutes an official communication channel between the two countries, with grave concern," Malaysia's foreign ministry said in a statement.

China's embassy in Kuala Lumpur did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside office hours.

Malaysia, under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, has traditionally struck a dovish line on Beijing including over the South China Sea, despite an intensifying row between China and U.S. ally the Philippines that has triggered concerns about a dangerous escalation.

Anwar last year said Beijing had expressed concerns about energy activities by Malaysian state firm Petronas and he was prepared to negotiate with China on maritime disputes.

Petronas, or Petroliam Nasional Berhad, operates oil and gas fields in the South China Sea within Malaysia's EEZ and has in recent years had several encounters with Chinese vessels.

In March Anwar said that trying to contain China's rise would only aggravate the country and sow discord in the region.

In its statement on Wednesday, Malaysia said it would continue to defend its sovereignty and sovereign rights in the South China Sea, handle disputes peacefully and engage all countries concerned, including China, with which it said it shares close and active bilateral ties.

"Regarding the South China Sea, both countries have expressed commitment and determination to resolve any issues peacefully through consultations and dialogue using existing platforms and diplomatic channels, without recourse to disputes or violence," the ministry said.

An international arbitration tribunal in The Hague in 2016 said China's claim to about 90% of the South China Sea had no basis under international law, a ruling Beijing does not recognise.

(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Martin Petty)