China’s Maritime Militia
(CIMSEC) (h/t Claudio) A Chinese fishing vessel appears in a sensitive location—near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, a South China Sea reef, or just offshore from a U.S. military base. Is it an “ordinary” fishing boat, or is it maritime militia?
The article provides insight into that question and the answer.
The “maritime militia” (海上民兵) is the saltwater element of China’s national militia. Like the People’s Armed Police and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), it is a component of the country’s armed forces. Most members of the maritime militia have day jobs, often as fishermen. However, their affiliation with the militia means that their vessels can be “requisitioned” (征用) to participate in training activities and conduct missions (service for which they are compensated). Militia members are trained and managed by PLA officers assigned to People’s Armed Forces Departments (PAFDs) in the city, county, or town in which the militiamen reside.
More here from Radio Free Asia.
China has the largest fleet of ocean-going fishing vessels, that cover the globe, as far away as South America on the other side of the world. In 2018 China caught 18 million tons of seafood – four times as much as the fishing nations of Peru and Ecuador combined. China’s trawling destroys seabeds in its path and, surprisingly, they are even armed and military trained.
Wonder what would happen if Greenpeace tangled with one of them….
Well, considering the French took out Greenpeace once, I’d say GP’s chance against the ChiComs would be pretty much nil.
After all, China is asshole.
🙂
One of the best things about China, apart from its wall of steel, is the way they own our oligarchs.
Perhaps they’ll roll over the border with tanks and guns. Who’d resist them, the people who rule us who are ruled by them?
Isn’t China’s history is one of rising power followed by horrid collapse? If it is a pendulum, where is it in the oscillation path?
There are a number of things that could bite China. It’s difficult to say which one it will be.
They bought Slow Joe cheap. Some say that it was a bargain but I don’t know.
It used to be a question of whether China would collapse before they became a real problem for us, but then we collapsed instead. On purpose.
-Kle.
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