KUALA LUMPUR — China is finding that nobody likes a pushy neighbor. Beijing’s aggressive posturing in the South China Sea, where it is nursing territorial disputes with multiple Southeast Asian nations, is stirring up particular resentment in the region — and pushing more countries into the waiting arms of the U.S.
Pushed too far
Malaysia has traditionally kept the U.S. at arm’s length, but recent years have seen a gradual increase in military cooperation between the two countries. In one of the most notable developments, the U.S.’s state-of-the-art P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft has been landing and refueling at Malaysian bases along the South China Sea.