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Malaysia pins its belt and road infrastructure hopes on deepening China ties
- With the flagship East Coast Rail Link back on track, Malaysia’s transport chief visited Hong Kong to take some top tips from MTR Corp
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Setting his sights on major investments from China, Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke says he’s confident that ties will continue to deepen as the Southeast Asian nation powers ahead with an ambitious infrastructure agenda, including a slew of high-profile belt and road projects.
“There is a very strong bonding between Malaysia and China,” Loke told This Week in Asia during a sit-down interview in Hong Kong last week.
“The relationship has grown over the years, and right now, it is very stable,” he said. “We currently have many collaborations across many sectors between Malaysia and China, particularly in the transport sector.”
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Loke was in Hong Kong leading a delegation to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Beijing. Malaysia is also expecting to welcome a visit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang later this month.
China has invested billions of dollars into the Southeast Asian nation’s infrastructure, including under its Belt and Road Initiative. One project, the East Coast Rail Link in Peninsular Malaysia that Loke is spearheading, is scheduled for completion in 2027 at an estimated cost of 50 billion ringgit (US$10.6 billion) and will offer both freight and passenger services once operational.
But Malaysia’s investment landscape with China has not always been so straightforward. A number of belt and road projects were either axed or left in limbo in the political instability that followed the ousting of corrupt former prime minister Najib Razak in 2018.
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