Why China is Arming its Fishing Fleet

Jun 16, 2016 | Evan Rees
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Over the past four decades, China has gradually abandoned its self-imposed isolation in favor of deep ties with global markets. Though the approach has pushed the Chinese economy to new heights, it has also made the country's supply lines more vulnerable, a reality to which the Chinese military has had to adapt. The seas — not the land — are now the key to China's economic security and regional dominance, and protecting them has become one of Beijing's greatest concerns. But safeguarding the South China Sea, the most valuable of China's waterways, is no easy task, and Beijing has employed a variety of creative tactics to try to do so. In addition to building up islands and troop numbers alike, China has encouraged its fishermen to venture out into the disputed waters. The civilian fleet, which has spread across the territory staked by the "nine-dash line", defends China's claims as any navy might by harrying and diverting the ships of its competitors.