Three Muslim-majority Asian countries have elected leaders who campaigned on a promise to temper China's growing influence, but analysts say reducing the foothold of the world's second-largest economy won't be easy because of the billions of dollars in development projects that are already under way.
The surprising elections in recent months of nonagenarian Mahathir Mohamad in Malaysia, cricketer Imran Khan in Pakistan and longtime opposition lawmaker Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in the Maldives buck a regional trend toward authoritarianism, and could present an obstacle for Chinese President Xi Jinping's hallmark "Belt and Road Initiative" to build ports, highways and other trade-related infrastructure.
The surprising elections in recent months of nonagenarian Mahathir Mohamad in Malaysia, cricketer Imran Khan in Pakistan and longtime opposition lawmaker Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in the Maldives buck a regional trend toward authoritarianism, and could present an obstacle for Chinese President Xi Jinping's hallmark "Belt and Road Initiative" to build ports, highways and other trade-related infrastructure.
