Caribbean prizes versus Chinese pirate organization

Has Caribbean piracy been overhyped compared with piracy elsewhere?

Yes. Caribbean pirates captured more famous individual prizes, but Chinese piracy could be larger, more organized, and more deeply embedded in maritime communities.

Caribbean piracy is often overemphasized in comparison with other regions. Its lasting appeal comes partly from individual captures of exceptionally rich prizes. Chinese piracy, by contrast, could be larger and more organized in terms of armadas and sustained capability. That system resembled the continuing extraction of wealth from coastal and maritime communities more than a hunt for one treasure ship.