Beijing’s Bad Behavior Is Backfiring

Beijing’s Bad Behavior Is Backfiring
Chinese leader Xi Jinping (L) speaks after reviewing the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy fleet in the South China Sea on April 12, 2018. Li Gang/Xinhua via AP
Richard A. Bitzinger
Updated:
Commentary

Malaysia, a country that usually maintains good relations with China, got a little taste a few days ago of Beijing’s “creeping assertiveness.” On June 1, a fleet of Chinese military aircraft, flying in a tactical formation, flew to within 60 nautical miles of eastern Malaysia, within Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea. The Malaysian air force subsequently scrambled several of its fighter jets to intercept these aircraft.

Richard A. Bitzinger
Richard A. Bitzinger
Author
Richard A. Bitzinger is an independent international security analyst. He was previously a senior fellow with the Military Transformations Program at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) in Singapore, and he has held jobs in the U.S. government and at various think tanks. His research focuses on security and defense issues relating to the Asia-Pacific region, including the rise of China as a military power, and military modernization and arms proliferation in the region.
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