Chinese espionage and neo-colonization

If you think China’s illegal incursions on sovereign exclusive economic zones (EEZs) happens only in the Philippines, then you are wrong. China’s bad behavior extends way beyond our shores.

Case in point, India. March 10 was a milestone day for our Indian friends. On that day, India’s Defense Research & Development Organization tested its domestically manufactured missile called the “Divyastra” (Divine Weapon, in Hindi). The Divyastra is a multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle missile. In other words, a ballistic missile that contains several warheads, each capable of hitting several targets in a single strike.

The missile test was conducted in Abdul Kalam Island, off the coast of Odisha state. Guess who was found lurking in the perimeter? An uninvited guest – a Chinese vessel called Xiang Yang Hong 01. The vessel was spotted in the Bay of Bengal, clandestinely sailing within the vicinity of the test site. The Chinese never asked permission to navigate the waters near the coast of Odisha state. It sailed as if adrift, not declaring its final destination.

As has become standard practice, the Chinese claimed the ship was only a research vessel – a tired and worn-out excuse. We all know that Chinese “research vessels” double as military spy ships. Their prevalence and frequent incursions in the EEZs of others exemplifies the systematic breach of the rules-based order that keeps international waters safe.

The Xiang Yang Hong was found to be in the Bay of Bengal to assess the Divyastra’s characteristics. It was a classic espionage operation.

For those unaware, China and India have a border dispute that encompasses the regions of Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh. These regions have been integral parts of the Indian peninsula for millennia. Mystifyingly, however, it appeared in China’s expanded map (published last year) where it claimed ownership of the territory. China also claims Vladivostok in Russia, the West Philippine Sea and Senkaku Islands of Japan, among many others. None of these territorial claims are backed by international recognition.

There have been numerous armed run-ins between India in China over the disputed territories. Last February, India had to deploy 10,000 soldiers to guard the 532-kilometer border that separates China’s Tibet region with India’s northern states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. This is because China taunts India with its gray zone bullying tactics. Sound familiar?

This is not the first time China has illegally undertaken spy operations on India. In November 2022, a Chinese “research vessel” was spotted as India was carrying out a missile test in the Indian Ocean. In October 2023, another Chinese vessel was suspiciously docked in Colombo and another last February in the Maldives.

China has become increasingly brazen about its espionage operations and the international community must cooperate to stop this bad behavior. If China freely deploys water canons at vessels in whom it perceives to incur on its EEZ, so should the international community. Treating the Chinese with cotton gloves has only made them bolder. The Chinese communists only understand one language – and that is decisive force.

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How does one define colonization? Outside gaining religious and political hegemony, colonization involves plundering a country’s resources to gain wealth to the detriment of the colonized country. The colony is often left impoverished and politically broken.

These days, colonization has taken a new form. Colonies are no longer won by wars but through debt. China has emerged as the prime colonizer of our generation.

Through its Belt and Road Initiative, the Chinese grant loans to impoverished nations who need fast money. More often than not, these nations carry unfavorable credit ratings and are unable to borrow with ease from institutional lenders like the World Bank. China presents itself as a willing lender who is neither concerned about loan sustainability nor project viability.

More compellingly, the Chinese are willing to play ball in the corruption schemes of local politicians. We note the headline news whereby the Chinese were caught paying off the president of the Congo for loan deals. In Sierra Leone, its parliament exposed Chinese corruption in the Kingho railway project.

What does China get in exchange for its loans? It gets first dibs on the country’s natural resources, be it gas, oil, copper, cobalt or rare metals. It is called resource-backed debt. China holds a wide portfolio of such debts, mostly from African countries.

Resource-backed debts are by no means fair. They come with brutal riders. Apart from consigning the country’s natural resources to China, the Chinese also dictate the price in which these natural resources are valued. In some cases, the riders are so severe that the Chinese are permitted to subsume sovereign territories in case of a loan default. Such was the case with the Hambantota Port of Sri Lanka.

China exploits the desperation of poor countries and their need for fast cash. It is a classic definition of a loan shark. Exacerbating matters is that filing cases before international courts is a futile option for debtor countries. This is because China is notorious for ignoring court decisions and rulings. The debtor countries are left to live with the full berth of stiff conditions arising from Chinese debt.

In the Philippines, the Marcos administration correctly canceled three projects funded by the Chinese. These include the PNR Calamba-Bicol railway, the Subic-Clark railway and the Mindanao Railway, collectively worth $5.02 billion. The Philippines is in no risk of falling into China’s debt trap.

Sadly, the same cannot be said about certain nations in Africa, South Asia and Latin America, all of whom consigned their natural resources to China for a pittance. These countries were colonized before and gained freedom through blood, sweat and tears. Now they find themselves “colonized” all over again through debt.

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Email: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @aj_masigan