Several reports suggest that Najib is embracing Beijing so enthusiastically in part to signal his displeasure with a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into 1MDB, a Malaysian state investment fund. Najib is accused of pilfering nearly $1 billion from 1MDB, a scandal that has damaged the prime minister's image and that of his ruling Barisan Nasional coalition ahead of the next general elections, expected sometime next year. The probe, announced in July, added credibility to the charges against Najib and his associates, harming Malaysia's reputation among foreign investors and spooking the country's business community. (Similar investigations are underway in other finance hubs such as Singapore, London and Switzerland.) At first glance, Najib's trip to China may seem to mark yet another example of the United States nudging a nominal ally, following Thailand and, more dramatically, the Philippines , closer to Beijing with pressure over human rights, democracy or corruption issues.