Who are the “Little Blue Men”, the maritime militia which operates in the service of China without being recognized by the regime

They are known as “Little Blue Men” from China, But Xi Jingping’s regime does not admit its existence. Is supposed Beijing-controlled maritime militia, analysts say, could count on hundreds of ships and thousands of crew members, and it would be nearly impossible to challenge it without triggering a military confrontation.

However, Western experts claim that the so-called militia is part of the Beijing’s efforts to exercise territorial claims in the South China Sea and beyond, slogan CNN. They argue that their blue painted boats and its crews (allegedly funded and controlled by the People’s Liberation Army) can the Chinese presence is so great around the reefs and the disputed islands that it is almost impossible to face it without generating a warlike conflict.

The apparent militia became known last March when more than 200 Chinese fishing boats crammed around Pentecostal Reef, Philippine possession of the Spratly chain of islands in the South China Sea.

Analysts at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in Singapore said that they had never seen a Chinese operation of this size, according to CNN.

“The Whitsun Reef incident is unprecedented in its magnitude and remarkable for its duration.: The largest number of Chinese fishing boats gathered on a Spratly reef, which stayed there for several weeks, ”they said. Samir Puri and Greg Austin, both IISS Senior Fellows, on the organization’s blog.

The Philippines has targeted Beijing for the incident. He rated the ships as a “Threatening presence” and assured that the flotilla violated Philippine territory and fishing grounds. Manila government demanded Chinese ships leave area, which it maintains as an exclusive economic zone.

Beijing defended itself by arguing that ships, which at one time 220, according to the Philippines, escaped the rough seas by moving in a lagoon formed by the Pentecostal Reef, shaped like a boomerang, which Beijing calls Niu’e Jiao and claims to be part of its territory.

“Due to the maritime situation, some fishing boats took shelter from the wind near Niu’e Jiao, which is quite normal. We hope that the parties concerned can see this rationally. “said the spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hua Chunying, according to CNN.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila has been more energetic. “There is no Chinese maritime militia as it is claimed”, he assured.

Diplomatic short films between Philippine and Chinese officials continued last week. The Chinese Embassy in Manila described as Filipino Defense Secretary Statement on “Foolish” and “Baffling” Chinese Ships. The Foreign Ministry reminded China that his diplomats are “guests” in Manila and he has promised to organize diplomatic demonstrations every day while the regime’s ships are in the Philippine maritime areas.

This is how the Chinese maritime militia works

Speaking to CNN, Carl Schuster, former director of operations of the Joint Intelligence Center of United States Pacific Command, assured that “The maritime militia of the people’s armed forces does not fish”. “To have automatic weapons on board and reinforced hulls, which makes them very dangerous at close range. In addition, they have a top speed of around 18-22 knots, which makes them faster than 90% of the world’s fishing boats“He added.

Some experts began to call the militia “Little Blue Men”, referring to the color of the hulls of their ships and of the “little green men” of Russia, soldiers in unmarked green uniforms who infiltrated Crimea before Moscow annexed it from Ukraine in 2014.

“The maritime militia is used by Beijing to undermine the sovereignty of other nations and assert illegal claims”, argues a December report by heads of the US Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, cited by CNN.

“The militia is a key part of the Chinese armed forces and is part of what it calls the ‘system of people’s armed forces'”they said Conor Kennedy and Andrew Erickson, eminent American experts, at the United States Naval War College in 2017.

They added that it is “An organized, developed and state-controlled force operating under a direct military chain of command to conduct Chinese state-sponsored activities”.

The so-called militia is integrated into the Chinese fishing fleet, the largest in the world with more than 187,000 shipsErickson told CNN, but Western experts still don’t know the actual number of armed ships.

Whatever their rank, experts assure that can lead large fleets of royal fishing boats in actions to promote the policies of the Chinese regime and its territorial claims, including those from the South China Sea.

“China is generally reserved as to its Third Maritime Force (behind the PLA Navy and Coast Guard), who could count on thousands of ships and tens of thousands of people. Maybe more, ”Erickson added to CNN.

The purpose of a maritime militia

The concept of maritime militia, or irregular naval force, allows China to claim territory in large numbers without involving the People’s Liberation Army good, say international experts, according to CNN.

Although the main vessels, such as those mentioned by Erickson and Martinson, are relatively few in number, they can lead fleets of hundreds of people, as seen on Whitsun Reef.

“These classic ‘gray area’ operations are designed to ‘win without fighting’ crushing the opponent with a large number of fishing boats, ”he said last year Derek grossman, defense analyst at RAND Corp.

Jay batongbacal, Director of the Institute of Maritime Affairs at the University of the Philippines, explained what Beijing has been doing in recent weeks on the Pentecostal Reef and in recent years throughout the South China Sea, which the regime claims as Chinese territory.

“Now they basically occupy the Whitsun Reef with the mere presence of their ships.”Batongbacal said in an interview with the National public radio the United States. “This is in fact the aim of the Chinese strategy, establish de facto control and domination over the entire South China Sea through these movements“, He added.

According to CNN, from a tactical standpoint, fishing boats represent obstacles that an adversary such as the US Navy should be able to overcome. And it will likely only be able to deploy a few destroyers at any given time to challenge them, putting many in favor of China.

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