Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, in Washington this week on a trip marking warmer ties with the United States, will sign an anti-terror pact with his host George W. Bush, officials said on Tuesday.
The veteran Malaysian leader, a fierce critic of Israel, will also discuss the Middle East when he meets President Bush on Tuesday to sign a declaration on fighting international terrorism.
Malaysian officials said the declaration will put a political seal on the increased cooperation between the two countries' security forces.
Malaysia is considering buying US-made Boeing Super Hornet FA-18E/F fighter jets, the Malaysian language newspaper Utusan Malaysia reported on Tuesday.
Malaysia, on an arms-buying spree, has ordered Polish battle tanks, French submarines and British and Russian air-defence systems.
Relations between mostly Muslim Malaysia and the United States were strained when Washington spoke out against the sacking and jailing of Mahathir's rival, former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, in 1998.
(China Daily May 15, 2002)
