Malaysia Sets Stage for Further Backlash Against China’s Belt and Road Initiative

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad (C) speaks to Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) during their meeting at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Aug. 20, 2018. ROMAN PILIPEY/AFP/Getty Images

Malaysia’s prime minister has successfully renegotiated a major China-backed rail link project in a deal which will save the country 21.5 billion ringgit ($5.2 billion) in debt to the communist superpower.

Prime minister Mahathir Mohamad slashed the cost of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL)—a key part of China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative—by almost a third, from 65.5 billion ringgit ($16 billion) to 44 billion ringgit ($11 billion), his office announced on April 12.