Deals
China Wants This Malaysian Port to Rival Singapore (And That’s Not All)
- China funds going to projects like port, roads, bridges
- Malaysia says it is balancing its relationship with China
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The Straits of Malacca have been a gateway for China for centuries in its quest for power.
A story blended from Malaysian history and folklore says an emperor sent a princess called Hang Li Po to marry the Sultan of Malacca in the Ming Dynasty, offering a ship filled with gold needles. He also sent a blunt message. “For every gold needle, there is a subject. If you can count the number of needles, you will learn the true extent of my power,” the emperor reportedly said in a letter.