China Flexes Muscles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Royal Malaysian Navy Super Lynx helicopter operating over the South China Sea, June 18, 2013. Source: CARAT’s flickr photostream, US Government Work.

 

Two Sundays ago (i.e. January 26, 2014), three Chinese ships – an amphibious landing craft, the Changbaishan, and two destroyers – entered James Shoal, an area that is claimed by Malaysia (and China). It was reported that sailors and officers on board swore to safeguard China’s sovereignty – this is a demonstration of Beijing's territorial assertiveness in the South China Sea. 

 

China, in fact, claims the South China Sea almost in its entirety, even dots of land a long way from its shoreline. Beijing regards the James Shoal (China refers to it as Zengmu Reef) as the southernmost part of the country's territory.

 

Already, last March, Malaysia protested against the incursion of four Chinese ships in James Shoal, about 80 km (50 miles) off Sarawak and the Chinese even fired guns in the air during their “visit”. And in April, a Chinese maritime surveillance ship returned to James Shoal to leave behind steel markers to assert its claim.

 

Other countries too – e.g. Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Brunei – have competing and overlapping claims to the area and are in dispute with Beijing, including over the ownership of islands, atolls, cays, shoals, reefs, and sandbars.

 

Malaysia’s response to the trespassing has been largely muted. The Royal Malaysian Navy chief even denied that Chinese ships have entered Malaysian waters! Abdul Aziz Jaafar, in comments published in the New Straits TImes last Wednesday, said the Chinese ships were involved in an exercise that also included its newly commisisoned aircraft carrier and a submarine (I presume this one can submerge in the deep waters!) and that it took place 1,000 nautical miles away from Malaysia's 200 nautical mile economic exclusion zone!

 

I guess we are not yet ready to defend what we wish to lay claim on. But couldn’t we at least send our two subs to show the flag? Okay, even if they cannot go under water – at least we have something big that can stay afloat long enough in order to face off the bullying neighbor! Aren’t these French-built Scorpene submarines armed with Black Shark heavyweight torpedoes and Exocet M39 missiles? I hope they are not duds. In any case, they are all we have in addition to the collection of frigates, corvettes and littoral combat ships that are unlikely to frighten off anybody with territorial ambitions.

 

I just realized that our naval capability is very limited. No wonder pirates and Sulu militants can cross over to Sabah with impunity to engage in kidnappings and other criminal acts on a regular basis.

 

Last evening, I was at Mercu UEM to deliver my Ice-breaker speech – my first this year. There were ten of us at Level 8 and we had a good meeting – only because the speeches and evaluations met my expectations. I would score this meeting a 7 over 10.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am also starting on a new challenge to help me improve further as a speaker. I have invited 15 Toastmasters who are tasked to individually evaluate me for ten CC speeches over a 12-month period.

Lachmichand (or Lucky as we know him) kicked off this project and he evaluated me yesterday. And already CC speeches #2, #3, #4 and #5 are being planned in these two months. The other 14 Toastmasters will do the same once I have secured speaking slots.

I need to bring my speaking skills to another level.