Malaysian PM Meets Chinese PLA General Staff Chief ����Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad met Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Chief of the General Staff General Fu Quanyou in Kuala Lumpur Tuesday. ����Welcoming the Chinese general, Mahathir said it was very important for leaders of the armed forces of the two countries to have direct contacts and build up friendship so that they can discuss issues of common concerns. ����Touching upon the South China Sea issue, Mahathir said Malaysia upholds that the issue should be solved bilaterally without the interference of outsiders. ����Malaysia has refused the mediation proposed by Americans on the issue and believes the issue can be smoothly solved if both sides have the willing to do so, he said. ����Appraising Malaysia's attitude toward the issue, Fu said on the occasion that China's stand on the South China Sea issue is very clear, China holds that the disputes among the countries involved should be solved through bilateral friendly consultations and that the involvement of any force from outside is undesirable and would only further complicate the situation. WorldNews 1999-01-28 Page6 Full Story in Chinese