Source:
https://scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2189074/id-side-rich-china-over-fickle-us-malaysias-mahathir
This Week in Asia/ Politics

I’d side with rich China over fickle US: Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohamad

  • Malaysia will make its own way in dealing with China’s rise and not take cues from Western scaremongering over Huawei and the belt and road strategy, says PM
  • He spoke to the South China Morning Post in an exclusive interview, his first with overseas media this year
Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad reviews an honour guard during a welcoming ceremony at the Malacanang Palace in Manila. He is in the Philippines for talks with President Rodrigo Duterte. Photo: AFP

If forced to take sides in the high-stakes geopolitical rivalry and trade war between the United States and China, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would prefer the economic largesse of Beijing.

He pointed to the current state of unpredictability of the American superpower as a negative factor when asked about the impact of Sino-American tensions on other, smaller nations in the region.