China media: Malaysia abduction
Author: Silver Editor Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-26881003Time :2014-10-27 13:37:27
Relatives are eagerly waiting for information about the missing MH370 flight
China-Malaysia ties continue to dominate discussions in newspapers amid the abduction a Chinese national in Sabah.
A Chinese tourist and a hotel worker were abducted by gunmen from a holiday resort in eastern Malaysia on Wednesday.
The incident comes amid rising negative sentiment over the safety of Chinese tourists in Malaysia, following the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines jet MH370.
The Beijing Youth Daily notes that some media outlets in Malaysia have quoted Prime Minister Najib Razak as saying that the abduction might be a deliberate act to sour Sino-Malaysian ties.
However, Xu Liping, a researcher from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, tells the Beijing Times that such incidents "happen from time to time, as the abductors are doing it mainly for money and not so much for political reasons".
The China Daily quotes a travel specialist as saying that the incident is bound to affect Malaysia's tourism market.
"Chinese people like to vacation in Malaysia for holidays because it is affordable and nearby. The missing MH370 plane and this incident has undoubtedly made matters worse," Liu Ying, from Tianjin Jinsheng International Travel Agency, tells the paper.
Meanwhile, Huang Huikang ,the Chinese ambassador to Kuala Lumpur, blames the "Western media" for "spreading rumours" and "making use of the weak emotions of the victims' families to sow discord between Malaysia and China", according to reports.
Echoing similar sentiments, the Global Times comments that the news of the abduction together with the missing plane incident "offer opportunities for Western media to stir up Sino-Malaysia bilateral relations".
"But the bilateral relations won't be easily derailed," it adds.
The paper acknowledges that the Chinese public are dissatisfied with the way Malaysian authorities have handled the crisis.
"There is much confusion in public opinion, particularly on the internet. These voices pose challenges to the nation's core interests. However, the authorities would not be swayed by populism as it is their responsibility towards the country and the people," it says.
