Malaysian minister arrives to mend fences
By Qin Jize and Sun Xiaohua (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-12-06 05:52

The move follows the release of a video clip in which a naked woman, believed to be a Chinese national, was forced to perform squats in front of a Malaysian uniformed policewoman.

Azmi Khalid, Malaysia's home minister, speaks at a press conference in Beijing December 6, 2005. He promised a thorough investigation into the abuse cases. [newsphoto]

In related news, Malaysian authorities have arrested three air force members and another man on suspicion of raping a 32-year-old businesswoman from South China's Guangdong Province at a hotel in Selangor.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said earlier that China urged Malaysia to investigate and severely punish the troublemakers. China last week summoned the Malaysian ambassador in Beijing to protest over the treatment of Chinese citizens.

Malaysia was one of the first countries to obtain approved destination status from China's outbound tourism authorities, but it has seen a 42 per cent decline in Chinese tourists this year, according to its tourism authority.

Dun Jidong, spokesman for China Travel Service said the cases are troubling, and their impact will depend on how the Malaysian side deals with them. But he did not think they have been the reason for a marked drop in Chinese visitor numbers.