Malaysia showed true courage on Friday when it detained 60 Chinese fishermen who had illegally anchored in its waters. This action represented a much needed show of resolve against China’s undermining of sovereign territorial interests.
Malaysia seized the fishermen and their vessels after they anchored illegally in Malaysian waters. This brazen show of disdain for Malaysian sovereignty is standard fare in Chinese fishing practice. Emboldened by Beijing’s aggressive diplomatic stance and increasingly impressive navy, Chinese fishing fleets believe they can go wherever they wish and fish at whatever scale they desire. These fishing fleets thus represent the civilian element alongside China’s militaristic policy in the South China Sea. Still, the impunity with which Xi Jinping’s fishing fleets operate is truly something to behold. Off the West African coast, China’s fishing fleets are rapidly depleting once abundant marine habitats, and in the process, impoverishing already poor local fishermen. These hundreds-of-vessel-strong fleets also operate in the most precious of marine habitats. They have waged war on the wildlife of the Galapagos Islands, for example.
It would be a mistake to regard these fleets purely through the prism of over-fishing.
Ultimately, these fishing hordes are modern day pirates. It’s not just that they steal the maritime resources of nations such as Malaysia; it’s that they fight when challenged. Earlier this year, Chinese fishermen operating in Indonesian waters actually attacked their Indonesian counterparts after being confronted over their thievery. China then blamed Indonesia for the incident. Such simultaneous disdain for ecological and human interests offers a telling insight into Communist China’s true nature. In the end, for all its ridiculous carbon emission pledges, Xi’s regime cares only for its own power.
But the world is waking up. In turn, rivers such as the Mekong, which were once buzzwords for criticism of American foreign policy, are now home to rising alliances against Chinese imperialism. Hence why Malaysia’s action is so important. China has been shocked by Kuala Lumpur’s show of resolve. In Beijing, the foreign ministry responded cautiously to the detention. That caution reflects Xi’s understanding that China’s standing in the Indo-Pacific has never been lower, and that it cannot afford to publicly bully Malaysia into submission. Were Xi to try and do so, he would only fuel the rising trend of regional challenge against his agenda.
That said, we should be under no illusions that Xi will back away from his global agenda.
Determined to replace the United States-led liberal international order with a Beijing-led feudal-mercantile order, Xi will ultimately continue his escalation against Malaysia and every other nation. But there is hope. For all our flaws, the U.S. can respond to China’s aggression by offering a hand of friendship to those smaller nations it bullies. And while China might be able to bully one nation into retreat, confronted by a partnership of many nations, Xi’s ambitions can be restrained.
