WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump plans to meet Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is embroiled in a corruption scandal at home, on Sept. 12 at the White House, the White House said in a statement.
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has been conducting a criminal probe of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a fund founded by Najib Razak, which is facing money-laundering probes in at least six countries, including the United States, Switzerland and Singapore.
In civil lawsuits, DoJ has sought to seize a total of about US$1.7 billion in assets it says were bought with misappropriated 1MDB funds.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), which first reported the plan for a meeting, said Najib has been eager to emphasise his friendship with Trump at a time of US scrutiny over alleged corruption in the Malaysian administration.
WSJ quoted people close to Najib as saying he would likely use the White House visit to try to play down the possibility of further investigations.
Trump looks forward to “discussing ways to strengthen and broaden our bilateral relationship and expand regional cooperation with one of America’s closest partners in Southeast Asia,” said a White House statement announcing Najib’s Sept. 12 visit.
Relations between Malaysia and the US soured last year after DoJ filed lawsuits in connection with the 1MDB scandal and Najib sought to strengthen ties with China.
Relations with Malaysia, which the US sees as an important partner in standing up to China’s extensive territorial claims in East Asia, had improved under former President Barack Obama, who in 2014 became the first US president to visit the country in 50 years.
Najib asks West to stop 'lecturing' as Malaysia embraces China
纳吉布告诫西方停止对马来西亚拥抱中国说三道四
BEIJING (Reuters) - Malaysian premier Najib Razak said that former colonial powers should not lecture nations they once exploited on their internal affairs, a Chinese newspaper reported on Wednesday, in a veiled attack on the West as he looks to strengthen ties with China.
Najib's visit to Beijing follows that of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who announced a "separation" from the United States and signed a raft of memoranda of understanding for Chinese investment in the country.
纳吉布紧随菲总统杜特尔特之后访问北京，他宣称要和美国保持距离并同中国签署了一系列谅解备忘录。
Najib, who is on a six-day visit to China, said in an editorial in the state-run China Daily that larger countries should treat smaller countries fairly.
纳吉布将在中国访问六天，在中国官媒《中国日报》上说，大国应该公平的对待小国。
"And this includes former colonial powers. It is not for them to lecture countries they once exploited on how to conduct their own internal affairs today," the prime minister wrote.
“并且也包括以前的殖民国家，他们不应该对他们以前剥削压迫的国家的内政说三道四”这位总理写到。
The Philippines is a former Spanish and U.S. colony, and Malaysia a former British colony.
菲律宾曾是西班牙和美国的殖民地，马来西亚曾被英国殖民。
Najib is looking to strengthen ties with China after July lawsuits filed by the U.S. Justice Department implicating him in a money-laundering scandal. Najib has denied any wrongdoing and said Malaysia will cooperate in the investigations.
More than $3.5 billion was allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB, according to civil lawsuits filed by the Justice Department. The probe has strained ties between Malaysia and the United States, with Najib dismissing it as foreign interference in Malaysia's affairs.
The shift by the Philippines and Malaysia is being widely seen as China's counter to U.S. influence in the region.
菲律宾和马来西亚的转变被广泛的看做中美在此地区影响的此消彼长。[/copy]
Najib also wrote that disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved through dialogue in accordance with rule of law.
纳吉布也写到南中国海争议应当在法律的框架下通过对话解决。
China claims most of the energy-rich waters through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbors Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.
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发表于 7-9-2017 10:23 PM
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