Why does former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad 'love' China so much? Why is he also 'loved' by China particularly? Tan Kai Hee, secretary of the Malaysia-China Friendship Association, reveals the reasons.

Question: Malaysia, although still a member of the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM), has many traditional security and military ties with the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. Would these ties pose obstacles to closer relations between Malaysia and China?

I don't think it is an obstacle or problem. These traditional or historical ties, like the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), were first made long time ago. FPDA, for example, is only consultative and it served as a psychological assurance that members would not be aggressive towards one another and that others would also not dare to be so. China does not see these ties as threats.

China also knows that these ties were not intentionally formed to target at it. China respects Malaysia's history and tradition.

Moreover, Malaysia has repeatedly emphasised that it values independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and that it does not seek any offensive military alliance. Again, there is no problem for China if these ties only serve as channels for consultation and communication, or even framework for joint military training and exercises.