(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are their own.)

HONG KONG (Reuters Breakingviews) – U.S. President Joe Biden takes on China’s vast fishing fleet. It could get ugly. Many of the country’s roughly 13,000 distant water vessels are armed and asserting claims to disputed territory in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, seafood consumption in the People’s Republic is expected to reach $53.5 billion %2Fen%2FGlobal-Seafood-Market-Trajectory-Analytics-Report-2021-Market-to-Reach-138.7-Billion-by -2027—US-Market-is-Estimated-at-6.3-Billion-While-China -is-Forecast-to-Grow-at-3.7-CAGR—ResearchAndMarkets.com&data=05%7C01%7CThomas.Shum %40thomsonreuters.com%7C02ea926b26664eb5c02a08da58e187ee%7C62ccb8646a1a4b5d8e1c397dec1a8258%7C0%7C0%7C637920022927019889%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000 %7C%7C%7C&sdata=ax4RSK3JzGdueH2vJOLS7NR5UCfGsdS2MotgpkzhKjU%3D&reserved=0 d’ici 2027, soit près de 40 % du marché mondial. Ainsi Pékin refuse de restreindre ce lobby industriel grincheux, malgré les dégâts diplomatiques et environnementaux -or-swim%2F&data=05%7C01%7CThomas.Shum%40thomsonreuters.com%7C02ea926b26664eb5c02a08da58e187ee%7C62ccb8646a1a4b5d8e1c397dec1a8258%7C0%7C0%7C637920022927019889%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D %7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=3Tz2W%2FOpMzMKnxwJGgUcYnNcHrSabKTcxTd55G32BPU%3D&reserved=0 Done.

Biden’s security memorandum signed on Monday promises policies to help countries tackle illegal fishing in alliance with Canada and the UK. He did not name China, but US officials told Reuters China was seen as a major offender. Execution will necessarily involve force; Indonesia opened fire https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/indonesian-navy-opens-fire-on-chinese-fishing-vessel on a Chinese fishing vessel in 2016, injuring a sailor. If Washington helps stop China from mass hunting https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fenvironment%2F2020%2Fsep%2F17%2Fchinese- fishing- armada-plundered-waters-around-galapagos-data-shows&data=05%7C01%7CThomas.Shum%40thomsonreuters.com%7C02ea926b26664eb5c02a08da58e187ee%7C62ccb8646a1a4b5d8e1c397dec1a8258%7C0%7C0%7C637920022927019889%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C% 7C&sdata=UAJVYfoUERrc9wMqOxNX1dFTrt6YOTlCmBPd8ZkXbfE%3D&reserved=0 in the waters near the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, the Philippines, Vietnam, etc., he will make friends and save endangered species. The risk, however, is an upsurge in violent diplomatic incidents. (By Pete Sweeney)

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(Editing by Una Galani and Thomas Shum)

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