Today a sovereign Malaysia once more faces a threat from communist China.

This time it is not in the shape of a terrorist movement but something both more powerful yet far easier to deal with. One man. Najib Razak.

No one knows better than Beijing that the best way to achieve a political objective is to identify the relevant pressure point and squeeze it; hard.

The end result of a long descent into corruption in Malaysian politics has meant that one man is in a position to decide everything; with his political associates just along for the money. That is where Malaysia is today and that is why Beijing, correctly assessing the position, has bought, and will go on buying as necessary, the Malaysian Prime Minister.

Not that the CPG gives a damn about what happens to Malaysia. Their sole objective is strategic. Control of the Straits. Control of the Indian Ocean and China a world military power. To get there they see that they need do no more than buy Najib who, by international standards, comes cheap at the price he is asking

Bail me out. Keep me out of jail and in power and you can do what you want in Malaysia. Traitorous but, it seems, easy to agree to.

In the face if this situation it seems hard to believe that the United States, whose global interests are most threatened by Beijing, should remain immobile. The more so when they have Beijing’s sole card, in their hand.

Not only is Najib a mega thief but he has breached the laws of the USA in the process of his crimes. Convention may have induced the usage MO1 but the facts are there. So Washington has a choice. Obey diplomatic nicety or throw the book at Najib, a no brainer.