Chinese maritime militia puts naval surveillance to the test
Chinese vessels gathered at Whitsun Reef in the South China Sea in 2021. (Photo: Philippine Coast Guard)
With record deployments in the South China Sea and a newly reported sighting east of Taiwan, China’s maritime militia is putting greater pressure on regional surveillance. How can navies establish what these vessels are doing quickly and reliably enough to respond?
In mid-August, an Apex Aviation reconnaissance flight detected Minfudingyu 07902 more than 30nmi off Hualien on Taiwan’s east coast, near Chinese coastguard cutter 2502 and research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 03. Apex’s report identified the fishing boat as a militia vessel, while a senior Taiwanese official told Reuters it belonged to the People’s Liberation Army’s maritime militia. Reuters reported the sighting on 8 October 2026.
In the Philippines, the pressure was more immediate. On 9 October, militia vessel 9622 deployed 22 small boats near Philippine-held Kota (Loaita) Island, according to Philippine authorities. One approached within 250m of the shore
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