Malaysia searches Chinese ship suspected of looting WWII wrecks

Disgraceful.

Thieving Chinese up to their usual deceitful tricks - Malaysians will throw the book at them for this, with floggings all round.

Disgraceful to loot any war grave especially when the Brits were fighting for China against Imperial Japan.

Disrespectful.

Disgusting. There will be howls of protest and victimisation from CCP spokespeople soon.

Aside from the disgust it is hard to figure out why the hell they would want to take unexploded ordinance on their ship…

The Chinese government are allowing this, and it's DISGUSTING. Arrest them, and put them in jail! Grave diggers! Let's remember we actually tried to help china... and this is what the CCP think of the sailers who gave everything! Lest we forget!

 Malaysians will throw the book at them for this, with floggings all round.

Malaysians won't do anything.

Skuttle their ship with them in it.

This has been going on for a long time. Doing something to stop it is long overdue.

It has been reported on since at least 2017 if not earlier.

The obvious implication is that 80 year old British steel that has been rusting at the bottom of the ocean is still superior to new Chinese steel.

They will seek anything that can be money or can be eaten.

It is amazing how the Chinese can find new ways for the world to be disgusted with them.

Poetic justice would be for one of those shells to accidentally explode.

The World War II brass shell casings have a lot of value, so I can see why someone would want to recycle them, as long as they are easy to recover. After more than 80 years in the ocean, there are not likely to be any recognizable human remains near the ships.

I would say that this sort of behavior by China does nothing to help their public image. I can just imagine the uproar from Beijing if Malaysia surreptitiously mined in China's territorial waters. Is China doing this just because they think they can get away with it without consequences, even when they are found out? That is not very neighborly behavior.

wallaceToday  04:37 pm JST

Disgraceful to loot any war grave especially when the Brits were fighting for China against Imperial Japan.

The Brits were fighting for the Republic of China (now Taiwan). Maybe that's why China (PRC) doesn't care.

especially when the Brits were fighting for China against Imperial Japan

I think the Brits were fighting for Britain - to continue their exploitation of places throughout Asia.

Sink the Chinese ship ... that will get their attention for violating international law. Of course, remove the crew first.

OssanAmerica

so what, China has only existed since 1948. Russia has only existed since 1991.

albaleo

The Brits and others were fighting the Japanese Imperial forces.

OssanAmerica

If the Soviet Union no longer exists, how does that work out because Japan and Russia were not at war? How to make a peace treaty with a country which no longer exists?

albaleo

The Brits and others were fighting the Japanese Imperial forces.

True, but I don't think the motives were the same among those fighting the Japanese. For example, was the UK fighting Japan in order to restore independence to Malaya?

albaleo

The Brits were part of the Ally forces fighting the Japanese Imperialist Forces throughout Asia. My own family member was fighting in India and Burma. Many Brit troops along with others became POWs.

The British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) was the British Commonwealth task force consisting of Australian, British, Indian, and New Zealand military forces in occupied Japan, from 1946 until the end of occupation in 1952.

But it is also true, Britain occupied a large part of Asia and joined the war to defend those countries against the Japanese.

The Brits had imperialist interests. The British Empire recognized that defeating Japan was crucial for the overall success of the Allied powers in the war.

Imperial Interests: The British Empire had several colonial possessions in the Asia-Pacific region, including Hong Kong, Malaya (now Malaysia), Singapore, and Burma (now Myanmar).

wallace

My own family member was fighting in India and Burma. Many Brit troops along with others became POWs.

Members of my family too. What I recall as a youngster growing up in the UK is of tales of how badly British soldiers and ex-patriots were treated by the Japanese. And I don't doubt it was true. But what I didn't hear was how native people in those countries were treated or what their attitudes were. Even today I don't hear much in the UK about how people from Malaysia, Singapore, Burma, the Philippines, etc. were treated. And I still wonder whether those people cared much about swapping one overseas ruler for another.

Technically Japan and Russia have been at war for a very long time !

I think OssanAmerica does not think that. For him, the PRC only exists since 1948, in which case Russia has only existed since 1991.

PRC=China. Soviet Union=Russia.

The rest is history.

Oh haha geeze...well the Russians are the descendants of Vikings and always fighting over something - darn barbarians.

Are you sure they aren't the descendants of the Mongols, too?

And not everyone agrees a surrender and a peace treaty are the same thing anyway.

No country in their right mind would sign a treaty giving away land that is legally theirs. Not sure why Germany agreed to it, but it set a terrible precedent.

Aside from the disgust it is hard to figure out why the hell they would want to take unexploded ordinance on their ship…

The brass in the shell casings has commercial value.

The obvious implication is that 80 year old British steel that has been rusting at the bottom of the ocean is still superior to new Chinese steel.

From doing some reading, pre-WII steel has particular value in certain medical instruments because it is radiation free.

I'm waiting for the indignant response from the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesflunky complaining about China being slandered.

Followed by the Chinese Foreign Ministry claiming the wrecks are inside China's "sovereign territorial waters" and therefore China's property.

wallaceToday  04:37 pm JST

Disgraceful to loot any war grave especially when the Brits were fighting for China against Imperial Japan.

The Brits were fighting for the Republic of China (now Taiwan). Maybe that's why China (PRC) doesn't care.

The Brits were fighting Japanese aggression.

Surprised, surprised, Chinese crimes travel well

Cut up the Chinese vessel and send that for recycling.

Grave robbers...