Chinese nationals 'stop over in Malaysia' on way to Mideast IS battlegrounds

More than 300 Chinese nationals have used Malaysia as a transit point to join up with militant Islamic State (IS) forces in the Middle East, Kuala Lumpur has revealed as Beijing worries about the domestic risks the recruits pose.

According to Malaysian media reports, the country's home affairs minister, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, said the Chinese citizens would go to a third country from Malaysia before entering Syria and Iraq.

"Although there exists an arrangement between Malaysia and China to combat terrorism, this problem is serious. This is because ties exist at the international level between terrorists in China and those in other countries in Southeast Asia," Zahid was quoted by Malaysian news agency Bernama as saying.

Zahid reportedly said he was "updated on the issue" by vice-minister of public security Meng Hongwei during a meeting in Malaysia on Wednesday.

Chinese authorities have admitted that some of its citizens have had combat training from IS but have been vague about the number of people. A greater concern for Beijing, many security experts say, is that these citizens may one day return to China and pose domestic security threats.

Malaysia's tally, if accurate, could significantly increase estimates of the number of Chinese IS recruits. In December, state-run tabloid Global Times put the total to make the trip via various countries at about 300.