TOKYO -- Malaysia's former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad says the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) championed by U.S. President Joe Biden is inherently political, since it excludes China.
In an exclusive interview with Nikkei on the sidelines of its Future of Asia conference, Mahathir said any trade alliances that leave out the world's No. 2 economy defeat the purpose of enhancing multilateral trade cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
