KUALA LUMPUR • Malaysia and China remain committed to strengthening their bilateral relations, and both countries should not let "small issues" affect ties that go back centuries.

This was the main message conveyed during a meeting between Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and China's Ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian on Thursday, state news agency Bernama reported yesterday, citing a statement issued by Dr Wan Azizah's office.

Mr Bai made the call on Dr Wan Azizah amid uncertainty over the RM81 billion (S$27 billion) East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project led by Chinese contractors. The new administration under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad this month issued a stop-work order on the 688km ECRL while it reviews the project over cost concerns.

Mr Bai on Thursday sought to highlight close economic relations between the two countries. He noted that China was Malaysia's largest trading partner while Malaysia remained an important destination for Chinese investment and tourists, Bernama reported.

Dr Wan Azizah said Malaysia under the "new government, new environment" would like to increase trade with China in other spheres, the report said.

Meanwhile, Tun Dr Mahathir on Friday said the ECRL and other Malaysia-China projects will be on the agenda during his visit to Beijing next month. He told reporters he would seek to renegotiate the "costly" deals as Malaysia could not afford to borrow too much money.