Kudos for Xi’s visit to Malaysia eclipsed by flag furore

KUALA LUMPUR - President Xi Jinping was still in the sky between Hanoi and Putrajaya on April 15, but already the Chinese anthem was being played in the Malaysian capital.

The anthem played before U Mobile, the telco partly owned by Malaysia’s King, signed deals with not just one, but two Chinese equipment providers – Huawei and ZTE – that day to establish a

national 5G network

, in an event timed to coincide with the state visit. The event was attended by Chinese Industries and Information Technology Ministry chief Li Lecheng, who arrived ahead of his president.