Wednesday 18 January 2017

China projects in Malaysia to hit Singapore - What behind it?


Now we wonder why big brother China hitting hard to his favourite bae , Singapore. And obviously by using Malaysia, Singapore No 1 rival, is the best shot. But what benefit will Malaysia gain by this silent war between Singapore and China. Malaysia not smart enough to fight both countries who are the master of economic strategy. Is this a way, China tried to remind  Asia countries, who are the big brother, tailo,  and US are far from here.

The giant republic’s aggressive investments in ports and rail links in Malaysia under its belt-road regional economic expansion programme is going to change the outlook for the island republic.

CHINA’S current mega belt-road projects in Malaysia, once completed, will alter trade routes in the region and this may divert hundreds of billions worth of trade from Singapore, according to industry players.
Cargoes and goods within the region heading for China or vice versa could bypass the Port of Singapore, when China-funded ports and East Coast Rail Line (ECRL) in Peninsular Malaysia are completed within five to 10 years.
The double-track five-year ECRL project, scheduled to launch this year with soft loans from China, will cater for passenger and freight transport when construction by a Chinese state-owned company is completed.
It will connect ports on the east and west coasts of Peninsular Malaysia and will alter current regional trade routes, which ply between the busy Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea via Singapore.
Currently, Singapore is in a strategic position along the east-west route.
© Provided by The Star Online
About 80% of the world’s maritime trade between east and west passes through the Straits of Malacca, and the strait is the main shipping channel between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean linking major Asian economies such as India, China, Japan and South Korea.
Singapore is the regional oil hub that captures oil tankers carrying an annual US$600bil (RM2.6tril) worth of the commodity and an important transhipment centre for the region. It is at the southern tip of the South China Sea, that sees an annual trade traffic to the tune of US$5tril (RM22tril) a year.
But China’s aggressive investments in ports and rail links in Malaysia – under its belt-road regional economic expansion programme – is going to change the outlook for Singapore.
This game changer will bring vast economic benefits and opportunities to Malaysia but will most likely exert negative impact on Singapore and force it to make adjustments to its future plans.
“This is a dream of a lifetime for Malaysia to eventually stop cargoes transiting through Singapore, with the generous inflow of direct investments and expertise from China now. In 10 years or so, Malaysia can say bye-bye to Singapore,” says a veteran port operator and logistics consultant with experience in Malaysia, Singapore and China.
The belt-road projects are part of China’s strategy to expand its economic activities and influence overseas, export its over-capacity, while at the same time, help the less developed nations to build infrastructure and connectivity to boost trade and economic development.
By participating in China’s string of belt-road projects, Malaysia’s economy, trade and logistics services will be further enhanced.
The port operator/consultant, who declines to be named, projects: “Transhipment cargoes in Singapore will be greatly reduced at a faster pace than before as the new ports will become more competitive and will have more sailing frequencies to key points.
“Port’s contribution to Singapore’s economy will be reduced and its attractiveness as a global transshipment hub will fade with the regional ports now having the capability to provide direct shipping services.”
In fact, PSA Singapore Terminals have seen a gradual decline in handling container cargo volume in recent years.
Last year, PSA Singapore Terminals handled 30.59 million TEUs of cargo containers or 0.1% less than 2015’s 30.62 million.
However, the island republic is still the world’s busiest transhipment hub, with excellent connectivity to 600 ports.
While the global economic slowdown has certainly contributed to the decline, there is talk that the China’s switch to Malaysian ports could be another factor.
In contrast, Port Klang continued to post a respectable increase in cargo volume. In 2016, container throughput of Port Klang posted an increase of 10.8% to 13.17 million TEUs.
Goh Bok Yen, urban land planning and transportation management consultant, believes that Kuala Lumpur could capture Malaysia-China indirect trade once the plan to hook up port and rail systems is operational.
In 2015, Malaysia-China’s indirect trade – largely through Singapore – was close to RM200bil.
“You can safely say that most of the indirect trade that went through Singapore would return to Malaysia as there is no necessity to use Singapore anymore in the future,” says Goh.
China is currently the biggest trading partner of Singapore, and Malaysia ranks second.
Projects with impact
While China is already involved in the building of the Gemas-Johor double-tracking railway, the most impactful project has to be the RM55bil ECRL.
The ECRL acts as a land bridge between Port Klang and Kuantan Port and other ports along the East Coast of the peninsula. It will enable China-bound goods from Port Klang, inland and the north to be moved to Kuantan Port, without having to go south to Singapore.
And taking the reverse of the same route, Malaysia-bound goods from China could stop at Kuantan Port, now being deepened and expanded, after plying the South China Sea.
In the Asean region, hundreds of billions of China-bound goods from Thailand, India, Middle East and Indonesia may stop at Port Klang and move overland to Kuantan. The reverse is true.
For Malaysia, the Port Klang-ECRL-Kuantan route will not only boost trade volume for the peninsula but will improve the economic and tourism landscape for the East Coast.
© Provided by The Star Online
In addition to Kuantan Port and ECRL, down south along the west cost of Peninsular Malaysia, Malacca is building a US$2.8bil (RM12.6bil) Kuala Linggi International Port (KLIP), financed by belt-road funds from China.
The state is reclaiming land along the Straits of Malacca to build a port to offer oil storage, repair and refuelling services for huge tankers.
According to reports, KLIP is eyeing a slice of oil traffic sailing on to Singapore – the hub for the region’s oil trade.
Expected to be completed in 10 years, KLIP is being constructed by local port operator TAG Marine and Linggi Base on a 250ha of reclaimed land.
With a planned 1.5 million cubic meters of oil storage capacity and dry docks to handle huge oil tankers, KLIP could attract customers due mainly to its lower rates.
According to a Reuters report, KLIP now handles a few thousand vessel calls a year, compared to Singapore’s over 100,000 calls a year. KLIP hopes to handle three times its current volume.
In fact, Reuters reported that some Singapore clients have been paying attention to KLIP.
One potential KLIP customer is Singapore-based Toyota Tsusho Petroleum. The fuels supplier has signed a memorandum of understanding with TAG to explore bunkering.
In fact, China’s involvement in all aspects of port services in Malaysia is likely be widened and deepened if a proposed new port project is launched and awarded to Chinese firms.
Last week, Tan Sri Kong Cho Ha, chairman of Port Klang Authority (PKA) and Malacca Port Authority, revealed to The Star that he has recommended to the Government to undertake a massive port-city project at Carey Island.
Cargo handling at Westport and Northport in Port Klang is hitting maximum capacity.
This mega project to the south of Port Klang requires infrastructure investments of more than RM200bil and China’s state-linked corporations are keen to develop the whole island with an area of more than 100sq km.
This 20-year project will comprise the development of an integrated port and related infrastructure, industrial parks and free trade zones, commercial and residential buildings.
The port will cater for all types of ships, which include container ships, bulk carriers, vessels that carry grains, oil and liquids, minerals.
“Currently, our facilities at Port Klang are limited. Hence, we cannot provide some maritime services such as ship repair, bunkering and maintenance. This new port will bring in new business,” says Kong.
“If we don’t develop this port fast, we will forever play second fiddle to Singapore. But Singapore aside, trade is important to our open economy.
“For national interest, we need to develop it for our needs,” adds Kong.
Growth in oil markets in this region is strong enough to warrant further investments, according to analysts.
Singapore watching Malaysia
“Singapore is watching us. This project, which aims to handle 30 million TEUs of container cargo annually in 20 years, will have a major impact on Singapore. They fear they will lose some of their business to Malaysia,” says Kong, who received many calls from Singapore-based media after The Star broke the news.
“But with the population in the region rising, there is a lot of room for growth. We are talking of another 10 to 20 years. The cake is big enough for all to share,” shares Kong, former Transport Minister, for this feature.
However, Kong sees Singapore growing at a slower pace than Malaysia. He notes that the container cargo business of Singapore has been on the decline in recent years compared to Port Klang.
China ‘punishing’ Singapore?
Due to China’s massive investments in Malaysia, this has caught the attention of regional analysts – particularly from Taiwan.
In a recent television programme, several prominent commentators of Taiwan said the belt-road projects in Malaysia would deal a huge blow to Singapore’s economy.
They opined that this is China’s “deliberate move to punish Singapore and isolate it in belt-road projects” because the republic has sided with the US on disputes involving the South China Sea.
In fact, the displeasure China has shown towards Singapore is becoming more intense, with China’s government spokesman recently warning Singapore to observe the “one-China” policy after the latter’s military dealing with Taiwan.
But Goh, of MAG Technical & Development Consultants, takes exception.
“I think having neglected rail and ports development for sometime, Malaysia now wants every port to be developed, backed by an industrial park to give it volume. There was no intention to hurt Singapore although it is inevitable there will be negative impact on Singapore.”
Elaborating, Goh says the ECRL project was conceived in the early 1990s after Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) did a study and made recommendations for the rail link. However, the lack of funds then forced Malaysia to place the project on hold.
“The notion to develop Kuantan Port jointly with China, together with the Malaysian-China Industrial Park at its hinterland, was mooted before the belt-road initiative was announced.
“The development of ECRL will make Kuantan Port even more strategic for Malaysia-China trade as ECRL will become a land-bridge to link up all the ports.”
Kuantan Port is expected to receive huge ships by middle of next year, after IJM Corporation Bhd and China’s Beibu Gulf Port Group have reclaimed 40ha of land and deepened the port.
And when all industries at its hinterland in the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park are up and running, cargo volume will be boosted.
The park has secured RM19bil in investments and is hoping to get another RM8bil to RM10bil in investments this year.
Currently, it is exporting most of the bauxite extracted in Pahang to Sime Darby’s Weifang Port in northeast China.
But the latest developments are lending some credence on claims made by the Taiwanese.
China’s interest in the proposed mega development at Carey Island, as well as in KLIP are seen as attempts to cut down over-reliance on PSA Singapore.
“Due to Singapore’s attitude towards the mainland, China has to be cautious and diversify. To protect its own interest, its ships have to cut down their over-reliance on Port of Singapore,” says an analyst.
“In fact, being close and friendly towards China, Malaysia is benefiting from China’s investments. Its economy will be lifted by all these investments and projects, if all goes well according to plan,” adds the analyst.
Adjustments seen
But most people believe that Singapore will plan ahead and make adjustments as it confronts new challenges.
“Singapore will not close down. They are going to fight us. They will continue to expand. They are aware of what we do here and they are ahead of us,” Kong says.
He observes that Singapore has the advantage of being a global financial centre, besides having the vast experience to provide a whole range of maritime services.
“Shipping liners also look into maritime legal framework and insurance coverage. Singapore has become the choice for big corporations.”
Goh, who has business in Singapore, agrees:
“Don’t under-estimate Singapore. They have gained respect for their maritime transport. They understand users’ needs.
“Time is money and port management will affect the entire production line of industries.”
After Malaysia develops everything, there will be re-distribution and re-routing, he opines.
He believes Singapore still has an important role to play, although “it will not be as important as today in the region.”
Eventually, Singapore may focus on trading with countries where they have good frequencies, he says.
“Singapore knows it will need to face new challenges. Being smart and far-sighted, it will identify a new role, once they lose their catchment area that does not belong to them.”
The other advantage that makes Singapore resilient is that it has one of the best financial systems in the world.
“It gives people the confidence to deal with them. Nobody seems to be able to fiddle around with them, and its recent move to jail local and international bankers involved in money laundering speak volumes,” Goh notes.
As counter measures, Singapore could be buying into Malaysian ports, Kong opines. He notes that Singapore has already bought into many ports in the world.
Despite Singapore’s strain in relations with China, PSA International (PSA) last October invested in China United International Rail Containers Co, a Sino-foreign JV with a mandate from China to develop and operate 18 railway container terminals within the country.
The inland railway container terminals are strategically located at regional economic centres across the country to form the core of China’s intermodal transportation network.
A lot to catch up
With future world-class infrastructure in a strategic location, could Malaysia fulfil its dream of bringing back most of the indirect trade back and attract more trade in the region?
A businessman, who has had bad experience in dealing with local ports, says he is unsure if Malaysia can get everything right and fast.
“There is still inefficiency and corruption that we have to deal with, and shipping frequency (issues) too. This is why some of us prefer to use Singapore,” said the businessman.
It is an undeniable fact that Malaysian ports still lack in efficiency and productivity, ship frequencies and destinations.
But with the involvement of huge Chinese funds and their expertise in managing ports and railways, as well as their speed in developing infrastructure, the chances of Malaysia doing wrong may be reduced.
However, Kong defends Port Klang: “Currently, the efficiency at our Port Klang operation is as good as Singapore. Corruption, if there is, has to be eliminated.”
Goh fears that Malaysian ports might not have enough cargo for international liners to make a call.
“Singapore is not worried as it is linked to every destination in the world.”
Hence, to create port volume, the Government must come out with incentives to entice industries to invest in the hinterland.
The port operator/logistics consultant says Malaysia must ensure there is strong flow of direct investments into the country to provide what they call “gateway cargo”.
“Port management is not about hardware only. Software is important too.
“Apart from having a good plan, you must have good managers and their maritime knowledge must be kept updated with world pattern.”





China artificial Islands - How they do it Part 2

Part 2-

Here is Fiery Cross Reef in 2006

fiery cross reef 2006



Here is Fiery Cross Reef in 2015, after China converted it into an island.
fiery cross reef 2015

The new island includes a runway and harbor, as well as numerous other buildings.

What’s the point?

China’s island-building efforts require a heavy investment in engineering and infrastructure, so why is the country going to all this trouble? Perhaps the prime motivation is to reinforce China’s claim over the region. The Spratly Islands and other nearby chains lack indigenous populations. As such, they are claimed by the various neighboring nations. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and China all claim portions of the South China Sea, but China’s claim is extraordinary. Dubbed the “nine-dash line,” China’s claim (as presented to the United Nations in 2009) covers most of the sea, extending down to the coast of Malaysia. Naturally, this has proven contentious, prompting the Philippines — located very close to the Spratlys, which China includes in its claims — to bring a case against China in international court.
By transforming reefs and cays into military installations, China is extending its military capabilities in the South China Sea. Airstrips, radar arrays, and all such buildings give China the ability to project force throughout the region.
Why is controlling the South China Sea so important? Although the scattered islands may be unimpressive, the South China Sea is one of the busiest trade routes in the world. According to information gathered by the council on Foreign Relations, more than $5.3 trillion worth of shipping travels through the sea each year; $1.2 trillion of this trade belongs to the United States.
Beyond its importance as a trade route, the South China Sea may also contain bountiful resources beneath the surface. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that there are 11 billion barrels of oil in the South China Sea, as well as 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. As East Asia continues to grow in importance, these resources — and who gets to control them — will become more important.
Fuel is not the only resource in abundance in the South China Sea. The region is one of the most important zones in the world for fishing. In fact, 12 percent of the global catch comes from the South China Sea. Astonishing as it may sound, this may be a far bigger point of contention than the fuel reserves. Fishing is a crucial industry for China, which is currently the largest producer of fish in the world. China accounts for 17.4 percent of the world’s marine catch, nearly three times that of runner up Indonesia, according to a report from the Center for Naval Analyses. China is also the world’s biggest exporter of fish products, with nearly $20 billion in exports in 2013.

What’s the ecological impact?

The political implications of this island-building plan are dire, as are the environmental consequences. Coral reefs are delicate ecosystems, made up of thousands of various creatures, and the sand piled on top of the reefs smothers these organisms. This is troubling because, although reefs occupy a tiny fraction of the world’s oceans, they are among the most populous marine areas, supporting thousands of different species. The damage does not stop at the reefs, either.
“The sand and silt stirred up by the dredgers covers most of the lagoon and is settling out on most of the remaining reef,” Professor John McManus said to The Guardian. “The sand will kill nearly any bottom-dwelling organisms on which it settles in large quantities, and clog the gills of most fish.”
This damage to coral reefs is not easily fixed, either. According to McManus, coral buried under sand cannot recover. As a result, thousands of species in the sea could be destroyed, and this could have consequences beyond the ecological. Coral reefs are, amazingly enough, important to the development of pharmaceuticals; scientists have developed several drugs and treatments by studying marine organisms.

What happens next?

Although the international tribunal at The Hague ruled unanimously against China’s claim to most of the disputed territory, the tribunal has no means to enforce its ruling. China, for its part, has refused to take part in the arbitration from the beginning, and the country’s Foreign Ministry does not recognize the ruling as valid, according to a statement released soon afterward. Indeed, the country is poised to expand its operations in the South China Sea, rather than backing down.
Chinese authorities are already planning to build a massive laboratory nearly 10,000 feet beneath the surface, says a report from Bloomberg. Several countries, including the Philippines and Japan, have called for China to respect the ruling, and the U.S. has been conducting “freedom of navigation” patrols near the islands and reefs under Chinese control.
In December, the Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) published a report claiming that China has installed weapon platforms on the island, based on recent satellite images. These weapons include “large anti-aircraft guns and probable close-in weapons systems (CIWS),” which are designed to shoot down nearby missiles and aircraft. Why the need for such weaponry? “Among other things, they would be the last line of defense against cruise missiles launched by the United States or others against these soon-to-be-operational air bases,” according to the AMTI.
China maintains, however, that these installations are “legitimate and lawful.” A statement by the Chinese Defense Ministry put it poetically: “If someone makes a show of force at your front door, would you not ready your slingshot?”
It seems that none of the parties operating in the region are willing to back down. For now, the artificial islands remain a gray harbinger of an uncertain future.

China’s artificial islands -How they do it?

Will Nicol
Digital Trends  

How safe are we at sea ? Sea piracy plunges low but kidnappings rise

Associated Press  
 Sea piracy plunged to its lowest levels in 18 years in 2016, but kidnappings of crew members for ransom is escalating off west Africa and in the Sulu Seas near the Philippines, a global maritime watchdog said Tuesday.

The International Maritime Bureau said in its annual report that 191 piracy incidents were recorded worldwide, down from 246 in 2015 and the lowest level since 1998. It said pirates hijacked seven vessels and held 151 hostages, down from 15 ships and 271 hostages in 2015.

However, it said maritime kidnappings surged by threefold to 62 people from just 19 people in 2015. It said that 34 were captured off west Africa, while 28 were taken from tugs, barges, fishing boats and more recently merchant ships in waters around Malaysia and Indonesia and believed transferred to southern Philippines.
"The continued fall in piracy is good news, but certain shipping routes remain dangerous, and the escalation of crew kidnapping is a worrying trend in some emerging areas. The kidnappings in the Sulu Seas between eastern Malaysia and the Philippines are a particular concern," bureau director Pottengal Mukundan said in a statement.
In the last quarter alone, the bureau said 12 crew were kidnapped from two cargo vessels that were underway and from an anchored fishing vessel in the Sulu Sea. In November, a bulk carrier was fired upon but pirates were not able to board the vessel. Earlier in 2016, crewmembers were kidnapped in three attacks on vulnerable slow-moving tugs and barges, it said.

The bureau, whose piracy reporting center is based in Kuala Lumpur, urged ship owners to consider avoiding the Sulu Sea. It called on governments to investigate and identify the kidnappers and punish them under the law.
It urged ships to be vigilant in the Gulf of Guinea, which remained a high-risk kidnapping hotspot with 34 seized from vessels in nine incidents.
Worldwide, Indonesia remained the top hotspot for piracy with 49 incidents, mostly low-level thefts, but this was sharply down from 108 in 2015. Attacks surged off Nigeria which accounted for 36 incidents, up from 14 in 2015. 
India accounted for 14 incidents, Peru reported 11 and the Philippines 10.

What happen in South China Sea as at Jan 2017

Updated 6:54 pm, Sunday, January 8, 2017

A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves:
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a weekly look at the latest developments in the South China Sea, home to several territorial conflicts that have raised tensions in the region.
CHINA MAKES WAVES WITH AIRCRAFT CARRIER
China says it was routine combat drills, yet the deployment of the aircraft carrier Liaoning's battle group in the Western Pacific and into the South China Sea has made neighbors jittery about Beijing flexing its muscles.
The Defense Ministry says J-15 fighter jets and sea-borne helicopters practiced takeoffs and landings on the carrier's deck in "complex hydrological and meteorological conditions in the South China Sea." It says a cold front posed some challenges but the drills provided important experience in the building of combat capability of the country's largest warship.
China's first and only carrier, which was commissioned in 2012 and declared combat ready in November, for the first time sailed into the Western Pacific through the Miyako Strait south of Okinawa, then passed through the Bashi Channel separating Taiwan from the Philippines as it entered the South China Sea. Japanese and Taiwanese surveillance aircraft and ships closely monitored its progress.
"These latest drills provide our first insights into how China will likely be using their aircraft carrier in the near future. Rather than extended power projection in far-off waters, the Chinese appear more likely to use the carrier, at least initially, as a demonstration of regional muscle - sending a message that they are willing to back up talk, policy, or rhetoric with a show of strength," Eric Wertheim, author of Combat Fleets of the World, told the U.S. Naval Institute News.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying says the Liaoning should enjoy rights in accordance with freedom of navigation as set by international law.
However, Japanese officials accompanying Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on his trip to Hawaii for talks with President Barack Obama said the two leaders affirmed that movements by the Chinese carrier "warrant close attention from mid-term and long-term perspectives."
Fox News reported this was the first time since World War II that no U.S. aircraft carrier was at sea anywhere in the world. The USS Carl Vinson battle group began deploying in the Western Pacific last week and will relieve the USS Ronald Reagan as the only carrier in the Asia-Pacific region based at Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan.
"We have a presence in the South China Sea and the Asia-Pacific, significant presence at all times," said Defense Department spokesman Peter Cook. "And it would not be unusual for us to have an aircraft carrier or any other kind of ship in that part of the world."
FILE - In this undated file photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, China's aircraft carrier Liaoning berths in a port of China. China says it was routine combat drills, yet the deployment of the aircraft carrier Liaoning’s battle group in the Western Pacific and into the South China Sea has made neighbors jittery about Beijing’s flexing its muscles. (Li Tang/Xinhua via AP, File) Photo: Li Tang, AP / Xinhua
China's aircraft carrier Liaoning

DUTERTE DANGLES ARBITRATION RULING BEFORE CHINA
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has warmed up to Beijing away from the country's traditional reliance on the U.S., says he will bring up an international arbitration ruling that invalidated most of China's claims in the South China Sea if Beijing starts extracting oil or gas from the disputed waters.
At the same time, the Philippines is studying the possibility of joint exploration of resources with China, according to the Philippine ambassador to Beijing, Jose Santiago "Chito" Santa Romana.
Asked under what circumstances he would insist on the July tribunal ruling that China refuses to recognize, Duterte replied: "When the minerals are already being siphoned out."
If that happens, he said, he will tell China: "I thought we're friends? We share economic bounties ... so how about us? I have this title, so what do you think? Don't you think we should talk now?"
Duterte has previously said he would set aside the arbitration ruling as he seeks to mend ties with China.
He also criticized Washington, telling CNN Philippines that if China's construction of islands in the disputed waters was a serious concern, then the United States should have led the way and stopped it "right at the beginning, when the first spade of soil was tossed out to the area that was being reclaimed."
"Why raise an issue putting the countries into distress or under stress when you are not going to do anything, when it is you who have the arms?" he said.

GUNBOAT DIPLOMACY IN FULL SWING
A flurry of goodwill visits by ships and submarines has marked the new year in the South China Sea.
In the Philippines, two Russian warships docked in Manila for a five-day visit in a showcase by Moscow to demonstrate what it can offer to a traditional U.S. ally.
Rear Adm. Eduard Mikhailov, deputy commander of Russia's Pacific Fleet, said anyone can choose how to cooperate with the U.S. or Russia. "But from our side, we can help you in every way that you need."
"We are sure that in the future we'll have exercises with you. Maybe, just maneuvering or maybe use of combat systems and so on," he told reporters.
Meanwhile, three Japanese warships led by the destroyer JS Inazuma visited Subic Bay, a former U.S. naval base near Manila.
Also, Malaysia hosted two submarines from China in Sabah state facing the South China Sea. The Royal Malaysian Navy said the visits by the CNS Chang Xing Dao and the CNS Chang Cheng are part of regular navy-to-navy interactions.
The Diplomat reported that last year Malaysia and China began annual military exercises and China secured access to the port of Kota Kinabalu following a visit by Chinese navy commander Adm. Wu Shengli