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Sino-Malaysia ties 'on track despite Belt & Road project renegotiation'

University don says rerouting the rail line is more about local politics and priorities; government still supports plan

Published Mon, Sep 14, 2020 · 09:50 PM

Kuala Lumpur

THE Malaysian government's recent announcement to reroute and reassess the cost and schedule of the massive US$10.6 billion rail project under China's "Belt and Road" trade initiative strikes a positive tone for Sino-Malaysia relations.

Ngeow Chow-Bing, director of the Institute of China Studies at the University of Malaya, said that the latest round of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) renegotiation should not be seen as Malaysia trying to push back against China.