‘Our ties with each other will always remain close’
BEI J ING: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has assured both Malaysia and China that ties between them will remain as close as ever.
This comes as Dr Mahathir wrapped up his trip to the country, which has seen him arriving under the negative perception as an anti- China leader after he announced the scrapping of several China-backed projects.
Dr Mahathir said he had managed to convince the Chinese that he had not changed from his previous stance of being China-friendly.
“I am still as China-friendly as before,” he told the Malaysian media at the end of his official visit yesterday.
Chinese investors, he said, were concerned about his stance on China.
“They were worried when I took over because some people said I am anti-China.
“I explained to them that we have to look after Malaysia’s interests. What we worry about are the projects that are not viable and the huge debt incurred.
“They understand,” he added. Malaysia, said Dr Mahathir, would continue to be a business-friendly nation.
This is Dr Mahathir’s maiden visit to China after becoming Prime Minister for the second time.
During his first tenure as Prime Minister from 1981 to 2003, he visited China seven times.
Dr Mahathir said the purpose of his trip was to look for solutions to the country’s high debts and
fiscal problem.
The Chinese, he said, had also shown interest in bringing more investments to Malaysia.
Besides meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li
Keqiang, Dr Mahathir also held dialogues with Malaysian corporate leaders as well as members of the Chinese Entrepreneurs Club, headed by Alibaba founder Jack Ma.