Hundreds of years later, China is again seeking influence in Malaysia as it spreads its economic and military clout through Southeast Asia. New roads and bridges may help him woo ethnic Malays, but the money could come at a long-term cost. “The closeness with China is an Achilles heel for Najib,” said Mustafa Izzuddin, a fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. “We want to make sure that there’s fair value in terms of investments from China into Malaysia,” he said at the same conference. “It’s not only about Chinese products coming in, Chinese money coming in, and Chinese foreign workers coming in.”Investment in infrastructure is good for Malaysia whether it comes from China or the U.S., according to Xu Bu, China’s ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Source: The Edge Markets August 01, 2017 00:22 UTC