China ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian heartened by Dr M’s overtures

“WHERE’s the anti-China sentiment? I don’t see it.”

China’s ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian gave this assessment when asked whether China’s rapid economic rise and growing regional influence was spooking citizens in his host country.

Speaking to the South China Morning Post, Bai Tian said he was heartened by overtures to China by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, contrary to speculation the leader would take a hawkish stance towards Beijing in keeping with his election campaign stance.

The ambassador said preparatory works were already underway for 92-year-old Mahathir to visit Beijing, even though Chinese officials do not expect the leader to make the trip in his first 100 days as Malaysia’s seventh prime minister.

Dr Mahathir, premier from 1981 to 2003, returned to the apex of power after defeating his one-time protégé Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in the May 9 general election.

“Today’s China is even more important than the China during Dr Mahathir’s first term in office. I do believe Dr Mahathir will visit China in the near future,” the envoy said on the sidelines of the opening ceremony for Alibaba Group’s Malaysia office on Monday.

Apart from the expected visit, Bai Tian said Dr Mahathir would probably have an opportunity to meet Premier Li Keqiang on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit forum to be held in Singapore in November.

Asked about Dr Mahathir’s demand for a number of Beijing-led infrastructure projects signed during the Najib era to be reviewed, Bai Tian said it was important not to “miss the forest for the trees”.

Bai Tian said the Chinese government had always emphasised that Chinese companies operating overseas should “follow the rules and laws” of both China and their host coun- tries, while also operating on the basis of “mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit”.

The envoy said Chinese companies continued to have “good faith” in Malaysia, and that he hoped Dr Mahathir’s government would “work even harder to boost the confidence of Chinese companies in Malaysia and invite more foreign direct investment from China”.

As for the East Coast Rail Link, he said the ongoing review was “not a problem”.

“Of course, we will be keeping our fingers crossed for the outcome.” — South China Morning Post