As Australia's replacement submarine program continues to languish amid a minefield of political failures, China's latest design has just been deployed off the coast of Taiwan. And it may reveal the crucial role of such stealthy weapons in Beijing's battle plan.

Beijing's monster fishing fleet has long since stripped its own waters bare. Now it is aggressively prowling the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans for a catch. And it is coming to Australia. It grabs as much as it can. As fast as it can. Wherever it can.