Malaysia to buy navy vessels from China in blow to US
If it goes ahead, defence deal would be first big purchase of its kind between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing
Malaysia will sign a contract to buy littoral mission ships from China when Prime Minister Najib Razak visits Beijing next week, according to a Facebook posting by the country’s Ministry of Defence.
The text of a speech to be delivered by Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein was posted on Facebook on Tuesday, but was later removed after Reuters asked a defence ministry spokesman for comment.
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.
China’s foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Friday he was “unclear on the specifics of the situation”. But responding to a Reuters question, he noted that China and Malaysia “continue to cooperate and communicate regularly across all spheres”.
Malaysia’s ties with the United States became strained after the US Department of Justice filed lawsuits linked to a money-laundering investigation at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), which Najib founded and had overseen as chairman of its advisory council.