'Old' Quad strategy risks provoking China: Malaysia's Mahathir

Veteran leader also urges Beijing to tread carefully regarding Taiwan

20210520 Malaysia Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad Interview

Malaysia's former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks to Nikkei Asia during an online interview on May 20.

P PREM KUMAR, Nikkei staff writer

KUALA LUMPUR -- The countries in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, should be careful not to enrage China lest they trigger a heavy global economic backlash, Malaysia's former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad warned in an exclusive interview on Thursday.

He said the Quad members -- the U.S., Japan, Australia and India -- would be better off engaging with Beijing individually rather than joining hands to attempt to control China's rising influence in the Indo-Pacific region and the South China Sea.

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