China uses civilian boats for Taiwan strait operations

A recent report from a US-based think tank indicates that the Chinese maritime militia is utilising numerous civilian fishing boats to execute “gray zone” strategies in the Taiwan Strait, according to the Taipei Times.

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The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) stated that Beijing is deploying unmarked, dual-use fishing vessels to carry out surveillance and intimidation efforts aimed at coercion and facilitating military operations without provoking open conflict. The CSIS reported on October 8 that its analysts have been tracking GPS and automatic identification system (AIS) signals from 315 China-flagged fishing ships to distinguish those operated by China's maritime militia from other civilian vessels, as reported by the Taipei Times.