China risking Asean unease with patrol off Malaysia

SINGAPORE: Chinese ships patrolling an area contested by Malaysia are likely to cause more anxiety across Southeast Asia and risk the ire of a country that has long sought to downplay strategic concerns generated by China's rising power.

Three Chinese ships on Sunday patrolled the James Shoal in the South China Sea, about 80km off Sarawak on Borneo island, which Beijing counts as the southernmost part of its territory. Soldiers on board swore to safeguard China's sovereignty, in the latest sign of Beijing's increasing territorial assertiveness in the waters.