Not like what western press wanted you to believe, Malaysia and many South East Asia nation are solidly behind China in its effort to maintain peace and economic development in the region. The most US and Japanese can do is to bribe a few greedy low ranking officials to say something that will please the pay master.  This is always overturned by the general public and the top officials who know who can provide real food on the table.  South East Asian know very well who colonized and exploited them in the past and how their Asian brothe come to theri rescue by offering fair price for their rubber, palm oil, tin and spices.  All these produce fetch low low price in the past due to stockpiling by western nations, until China and India begin to buy at a fair price the last 20 years.  Every South East Asian know their economic development is hinged on that of China and India, not western nation who are on the down hill.