Unearthing China-Asean history

Diplomatic pioneer: Tun Razak and Chairman Mao shaking hands when they met in Beijing in 1974, which marked the start of relations between Malaysia and China.

WHEN former Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein met Chairman Mao Zedong in Beijing on May 29, 1974 – his first and only meeting with the Chinese revolutionary leader – he suggested that China renounce support for the Malayan Communist Party (MCP).

The MCP, led by Chin Peng then, was waging a guerrilla warfare aimed at overthrowing Razak’s government.