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.