Malaysia Says It’s Not in Hurry to Ratify Pacific Trade Deal

Malaysia won’t rush to ratify an Asia-Pacific trade agreement and is instead focusing on negotiating a regional pact between Southeast Asian countries and China, the nation’s trade minister said.

The government under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is reviewing the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, which was signed by the previous administration, to make sure it’s a fair deal for Malaysians. The trade pact covers 11 nations from Japan to Mexico, and excludes China.

Malaysia is pursuing talks on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, a 16-nation deal that’s been billed as a China-backed rival to ...