M'sia has balanced relationship with China, US, says DPM

Malaysia has a balanced relationship with China and the United States, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

"We are very balanced not only on diplomatic relationships. GTG (government- to-government), we are working very closely with the US. Also P2P (people-to- people) as well as B2B (business-to- business)," he told the media at the end of the Asia-Europe Counter-Terrorism Dialogue here today.

Ahmad Zahid noted that he himself had visited Washington twice so far.

"I think it is very subjective for anybody to regard relations as cold or warm. We would like to have a balanced relationship with both (China and US)," he said.

Ahmad Zahid was responding to a question that Malaysia currently seemed to have a more "warm" relationship with China than the US.

The deputy prime minister arrived here this morning to attend the Asia-Europe Counter-Terrorism Dialogue.

"We established relations with China in 1974. We are enjoying extremely warm relations, what more the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak). He has made three visits to China so far.

"It is to show our commitment to resolve economic issues in this region as well as invite China to invest in Malaysia's HSR (High Speed Rail) project," he said.

Najib is currently on an official six-day visit to China not only to further strengthen bilateral cooperation but also cooperation on regional and international issues.

Najib's first official visit to China was in 2009 and the second in 2014 in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China.

The prime minister's previous visit to China was a working visit in March last year to attend the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in Hainan.

To a question on chances of China winning the HSR tender, Ahmad Zahid said: "That will be based on an international tender."

Malaysia and Singapore had in July signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR project.

It has drawn interest from investors from countries like China, Japan, France, Spain and Germany so far.

The proposed Malaysia-Singapore High-Speed Rail connecting Kuala Lumpur and Singapore will stretch 350 kilometres. -- BERNAMA