Mahathir meets Zhu in China

Mahathir meets Zhu in China

BEIJING (AFP): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad held
talks here with Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji on Wednesday,
immediately after arriving for a three-day working visit, state
television reported.

Zhu warmly greeted Mahathir to start their meeting at the
Great Hall of the People. He was quoted as saying that China was
committed to a continual deepening of co-operation between the
two countries in all respects.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction with stronger bilateral
trade in the wake of the Asian crisis.

They also agreed that territorial disputes in the South China
Sea should be solved through negotiations among the relevant
claimants. Both said they opposed any external involvement or
interference in the area -- a likely reference to U.S. naval power.