MANILA/KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will sign a contract to purchase Littoral Mission Ships from China when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak visits Beijing next week, according to a Facebook posting by the Ministry of Defence. The purchase of the patrol vessels, if it proceeds, would be Malaysia's first significant defence deal with China and comes amid rising tensions in the South China Sea and as the United States and China compete for influence in the region. But responding to a Reuters question at the daily ministry briefing he noted China and Malaysia "continue to cooperate and communicate regularly across all spheres". LMS are fast patrol vessels that can be equipped with a helicopter flight deck and carry missiles. China claims most of the South China Sea as its territory.

Source: New Strait Times October 28, 2016 15:11 UTC