KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 - China crushed Malaysia 5-1 in their opener in the 2007 Asian Cup Group C here on Tuesday, breaking the jinx of the soccer tournament co-hosts' stunning performance of win-or-tie.The tournament was co-hosted by soccer minnows Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. Before the game, Thailand tied Iraq 1-1, Vietnam beat United Arab Emirates 2-0, and Indonesia upset Bahrain 2-1. The co-hosts' brilliant performances shocked Asia and the world.But China said no to this trend. The Chinese quickly gained advantage after the whistle, forcing the Malaysian side to concentrate on its defense.Forward Han Peng headed the ball home in 15th minute following a nice pass by midfielder Wang Dong. Malaysia managed to launch several counter attacks but its forwards failed to find targets before the Chinese defense line led by Li Weifeng.China scored again in the 36th minute when midfielder Shao Jiayi tapped home a precise left-wing cross from star playmaker Zhengzhi.After the interval, China continued its offense. Wang Dong and Han Peng scored for China in the 51st minute and the 55th minute, respectively.Malaysia's forward Mahayuddin Indra Putra collected a consolation goal for the home side on 72 minutes with a long-range low shot.But Wang Dong changed the score board to 5-1 with a header in the box in injury time.China will play against hot favorite Iran on July 15 while Malaysia will meet Uzbekistan a day earlier.