KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 — US president Donald Trump appeared to agree with International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Darell Leiking on the need to be mindful of how its trade relations with China were affecting other countries.

Malaysiakini reported that Leiking had, in interviews with CNN and the Financial Times earlier this month, said that the US and China had a “global responsibility” to other countries affected by their actions and Trump was asked by reporters to comment on the statement.

“Well, I think it’s true. I think the word ‘global responsibility’ — I think those are two nice words,” Trump was quoted as saying.

“I think we do have a responsibility to the world — both countries... This will be a tremendous thing for the world, forget about China, forget about the US. This will be a tremendous thing for the world if we get it done. Let’s see what happens,” he said when speaking to reporters after a meeting with China’s Vice Premier Liu He on April 4.

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Leiking made the remarks during a group interview with the Malaysian press last week.

He said that during his trade mission to the US, he told people that the US and China became superpowers partly due to their trade with smaller countries like Malaysia and should, in turn, consider their impact when they decide to either have a trade war or a new trade deal.

“They have to think about everybody that is part and parcel of the (economic) ecosystem. They have to start considering all of our issues that will remain unresolved, or will stagnate our economy if they do this or do that,” he said.

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On the upcoming Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRFIC) in China this week, Leiking said that Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad would likely address the issue of transparency in Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) during the forum.

“The exciting bit about our prime minister is he will come up to the stage and just say his piece.

“And sometimes he will shock or disrupt the world. And most of the time, even though (his remarks are) shocking or disruptive to some, they respect his ideas,” said Leiking.

The forum is taking place from April 25 to 27 and is to be attended by Dr Mahathir; Leiking; Transport Minister Anthony Loke; Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin; and Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah.