China in recent years has been sending its fishing craft into the waters of Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. South Korea catches 300 Chinese trawlers a year in South Korean waters.
Beijing, it appears, has been using fishing boats in quasi-military roles, proxies for the country's navy. The New York Times reports that American and Asian officials believe Chinese fishing boat incidents are increasing throughout the region.
| Whether or not they believe it, others have been acting of indisputable facts. |
As Beijing seeks to control its territorial waters--and the waters of others--we can expect to see other clashes involving Chinese civilian vessels. The Saturday episode, if viewed by itself, appears minor. Yet, unfortunately, it fits within a multi-year string of aggressive acts by Chinese boats throughout East Asia and a general trend of China's increased hostility toward neighbors.
| Not hostility, arrogance. I'm sure it's mostly nothing personal. |
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