Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad criticized a brand new US-led financial grouping on Friday, saying it’s meant to isolate China, and received’t profit regional financial progress with out Beijing.
US President Joe Biden launched the 13-nation Indo-Pacific Economic Framework throughout a go to to Japan earlier this week. He mentioned it would assist the United States work extra carefully with Asian international locations in areas together with provide chains, digital commerce, clear power and anti-corruption.
“The US will always want to use groupings like this in order to isolate China,” Mahathir mentioned at a world convention in Tokyo. “Many countries recognize that this is not an economic grouping but it is truly a political grouping.” The signatories are Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam. Together they symbolize 40% of the world’s GDP.
“This is not good for their own economic development,” Mahathir mentioned of the international locations within the grouping.
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Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, proper, and Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, left, shake arms firstly of their assembly on the Prime Minister’s official residence. (AP)
“China is a big trading partner for Malaysia, we don’t want to see any tension, any conflict with China and we hope that the US will realize that China is there, it’s not going to disappear, and we have to live with China, which is now richer than most countries in the world,” he mentioned at “The Future of Asia”, a convention organized by Nikkei Inc.
Mahathir, 96, who served as Malaysia’s fourth and 7 prime ministers, was seen for a few years as a de facto spokesperson for much less developed international locations and steadily criticized the West. He stays an influential determine in Malaysia.
He led an opposition coalition to a historic election victory in 2018 that ousted a corruption-tainted authorities within the first peaceable switch of energy since Malaysia’s independence in 1957.
Mahathir grew to become the world’s oldest chief at 92 however his rule lasted solely 22 months as his authorities collapsed resulting from infighting. Mahathir fashioned a brand new ethnic Malay social gathering in 2020 to oppose the brand new management.
