BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday that China congratulates Mahathir Mohamad on taking office as Malaysian prime minister.
"Mr. Mahathir is a senior politician, and he has made important contributions to the development of Malaysia and ASEAN, as well as China-Malaysia ties and cooperation in East Asia," spokesperson Geng Shuang said.
"The Chinese side congratulates him on taking office as Malaysian prime minister and believes under his leadership, Malaysia will achieve new progress in national construction and the China-Malaysia comprehensive strategic partnership will have a sustainable and stable development," Geng said.
Mahathir Mohamad, 92, a former Malaysian prime minister who led the opposition to achieve a stunning victory in the general election, took the oath of office on Thursday night, becoming the world's oldest government leader.
