Frozen durian - the result of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's visit to China

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at a meeting in Beijing, China.

Because China is a great power with a large economy (during his visit, Mr. Mahathir repeatedly called Malaysia a small country). Because many previous joint projects with China have increased Malaysia's public debt, and during his election campaign, Mr. Mahathir pledged to reduce the debt. Besides, Malaysia and China have not resolved the dispute over the islands in the East Sea, Mr. Mahathir believes that the issue should be resolved only by peaceful means, and warships should not be present regularly in this sea area (understandably, here we are talking first about the Chinese navy).

From the published documents, it is unclear what issues were discussed during the visit and how deep the negotiations were. President Xi Jinping received Mahathir, and the leaders held talks with Premier Li Keqiang, who described the visit as very important and contributing to the continuation of friendly relations between the two countries. President Xi Jinping called on all parties to strengthen relations with the aim of contributing to the further development of bilateral relations, as well as the revitalization of the Asian region, as well as progress and prosperity in the world.

Mahathir called on China to build fairer economic ties with Malaysia, suggesting that the Chinese contractor’s estimates for the East Coast Rail Link and two oil pipelines were too high, leading to an increase in Malaysia’s public debt. However, Mahathir has not yet closed the projects, and during the visit, the Chinese side did not insist on continuing them. It is likely that the decision on this issue has been shelved.