Yu Ruowang/CHINA NEWS SERVICE/VCG
Gregory Poling, Foreign Policy: China’s Hidden Navy
The evidence shows that supposed fishing boats around contested islands are part of an extensive maritime militia.
The Spratly Islands, occupied by five different claimants, are the most hotly contested part of the South China Sea. Thanks to the harbors and supporting infrastructure Beijing constructed on its outposts there over the last five years, most vessels operating around the Spratlys are Chinese. And most of those are at least part-time members of China’s official maritime militia, an organization whose role Beijing frequently downplays but that is playing an increasingly visible role in its assertion of maritime claims.
A small cohort of analysts continue to cast doubt on the existence and activities of the maritime militia. The best-intentioned offer alternative explanations for the curious behaviors of the Chinese fishing fleets, though those don’t stand up to scrutiny. Other writers, especially those affiliated with Chinese institutions and state media, seek to present an alternate version of reality by artfully cropping satellite imagery, cherry-picking data, or simply ignoring the facts and attacking the motives of those presenting evidence of militia activities.
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WNU Editor: This "hidden navy" is huge .... Expert: China’s ‘Sneaky’ Navy Aims to Overpower South China Sea (Breitbart).
2 comments:
It's not hidden!? These boats have been in the news for years. Sadly, the hidden part comes from national governments not recognizing that they are part of the overall Chinese Strategy. The US just stated a few days ago they would treat these boats the same as any other navy vessel; but the US Navy is not going to push these boats out of the islands, they are there to stay because no one did anything for years.
When equipped with water skiers, they put on quite a show.
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