He said the government’s announcements, during the visit of prime minister Najib Razak to Beijing last week, amounted to a “paradigm shift in bilateral cooperation with the communist country”.

The government said last week it would purchase four corvettes, classed as littoral mission ships, in Malaysia’s first military purchase from China. Calling it a “landmark decision”, Najib said more orders might follow in future.

Najib also said that the dispute in the South China Sea would be discussed bilaterally with China.

Kadir questioned whether the Cabinet had discussed the two decisions and pointed out that China was bent on expanding its economic, political and military influence around the world.

He also cautioned that a RM50 billion loan from China for the East Coast railway project would push the country’s external debt to more than RM700 billion, without accounting for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore railway estimated at RM50 billion, and the existing 1MDB debt of RM50 billion.

Opposition politicians have questioned the wisdom of 14 deals in defence, agriculture, education, finance and construction, amounting to about RM143.64 billion, that was announced.

Kadir, who is now a supreme council member of Parti Pribumi Bersatu, said China made no distinction between government and company, as the communist government owned all industries and all strategic economic activities.

He said the East Coast railway, Bandar Malaysia project, and KL-Singapore high-speed railway fit into China’s plans to recreate the ancient Silk Road trade route.

The Chinese Communist Party had used train routes to gradually expand its influence on maritime routes, said Kadir.