PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia's prime minister says he will seek to cancel multibillion-dollar Chinese-backed infrastructure projects that were signed by his predecessor as his government works to dig itself out of debt, and he blasted Myanmar's treatment of its Rohingya minority as "grossly unjust."

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad made the comments during a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press on Monday, days before the 93-year-old leader heads to Beijing for his first visit there since returning to power in an electoral upset three months ago.

Mahathir said he wants to maintain good relations with China and welcomes its investment, so long as the investment benefits Malaysia. But he wants to cancel an east coast rail link and two gas pipelines estimated to cost more than $22 billion.