Commentary Malaysia, a country that usually maintains good relations with China, got a little taste a few days ago of Beijing’s “creeping assertiveness.” On June 1, a fleet of Chinese military aircraft, flying in a tactical formation, flew to within 60 nautical miles of eastern Malaysia, within Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea. The Malaysian air force subsequently scrambled several of its fighter jets to intercept these aircraft. This incident is only the latest in a long series of escalating and belligerent acts by the Chinese regime to press their claims in the South China Sea and elsewhere. It surely won’t be the last. It’s hard to believe now, but it wasn’t too long ago that China was seen as an agent for peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific. In the early years of the 21st century, Beijing was actively engaged in a regional “smile campaign” intended …