Mahathir rocks (Xi's boat)

The Malaysian PM has delivered a very public, unambiguous blow to Xi Jinping's Belt and Road business model

I wish to report to you, dear reader, that Mahathir Mohammed, Malaysia’s remarkable nonagenarian prime minister, has proved me right. That’s one more reason for you to read the Asian Balance regularly. You will recall I’d argued that China’s massive Belt and Road infrastructure investments will be resisted by forces of nationalism extant in Asian countries. Recent developments in Malaysia offer the clearest example yet on how this actually unfolds.

Over the past few years, China announced massive infrastructure and real-estate investments in Malaysia. These include a $2 billion port, $10 billion industrial park, $20 billion high speed rail project