Mahathir to visit China

Mahathir to visit China

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): Malaysia Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad will visit China and Russia's Far East later this month to promote economic ties, government sources said on Saturday.

Mahathir, responding to questions on when he would call general elections, said he would visit China and Siberia in between his nationwide pre-election tour. He gave no details.

"When my brains clear a bit, I'll come back and see more people," the New Straits Times newspaper on Saturday quoted him as saying in the eastern Malaysian state of Sarawak.

A government source told Reuters the premier was due to visit Russia's far eastern city of Khabarovsk from August 15-18, then travel to China on August 18 for talks with Chinese leaders.

The source said Mahathir's visit to Beijing was to mark the 25th anniversary of Sino-Malaysian ties.