Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that, last month, the China Electric Power Construction Group and the Malaysian government jointly held a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off the Melaka Gateway construction project. Melaka Gateway is expected to be a deep water port located on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula south of Kuala Lumpur. The plan is to make this new port city, composed of three islands, the “Number One Port at the Strait of Malacca.” The Strait is one of the most critical military and commercial pathways in the world. However, Singapore media have been criticizing the new port plan ever since the idea was announced. As the key holder of the Strait of Malacca, Singapore questioned the usefulness of having another nearby port city. Given the increasingly more military activities China held jointly with Malaysia, as well as China’s 99-year operational lease of the new port Melaka Gateway, Singapore expressed its doubts about China’s real purpose in helping to build the port. Recently, Singapore has been siding with the United States on containing China’s expansion in the region.
Source: Sina, November 21, 2016
http://finance.sina.com/bg/economy/sinacn/20161121/00191524973.html