China and Malaysia have inked 14 agreements, with one involving the sale of Chinese naval vessels, reflecting their warming ties amid a tussle for regional influence between Beijing and Washington.

The nine government-to-government pacts and five business cooperation deals, signed as part of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s six-day visit to China from Monday, included one on Chinese financing for a Kuala Lumpur-Kelantan rail line and another for building a gas pipeline in Sabah.

Datuk Seri Najib, who is making his third visit to China since becoming Prime Minister in 2009, met Premier Li Keqiang and top legislator Zhang Dejiang yesterday and is scheduled to meet President Xi Jinping tomorrow.

… Singapore-based military expert Richard Bitzinger of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies said the Chinese vessels are a bargain compared with the French-designed Gowind-class corvette, of which the Malaysians are buying six at around US$466 million (S$647 million) each.