| China's Maritime Militia | |
|---|---|
| 中国海上民兵 | |
 A purpose-built Chinese Maritime Militia ship (type WAG FT-16) harassing a Filipino vessel resupplying a Spratly outpost, 2023[1] | |
| Country |  People's Republic of China |
| Allegiance |  Chinese Communist Party |
| Type | Maritime militia |
| Role | Naval patrols, reconnaissance, search and rescue; greyzone warfare |
| Fleet | 370,000 non-powered FVs (2015)[2] 672,000 powered FVs (2015)[2] |
| Engagements | |
The Chinese Maritime Militia (Chinese: 中国海上民兵), also called the Fishery Militia (渔政民兵), is a naval militia of the People's Republic of China (PRC). It is the smallest of the three maritime forces used in Chinese sea patrol operations, next to the China Coast Guard (CCG) and the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).[3]
As of 2022, the PRC and Vietnam were the only nations worldwide that had officially established a legal regime for their maritime militia.[4] Some U.S. states maintain naval militias, though they are primarily dedicated to supplementing disaster relief and port security.[5]
- ^ "'Little blue men': Is a militia Beijing says doesn't exist causing trouble in the South China Sea?". 12 August 2023.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
08-15iuuwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Kennedy, Conor (2018). "The Struggle for Blue Territory. Chinese Maritime Militia Grey-Zone Operations". RUSI Journal. 163 (5): 8. doi:10.1080/03071847.2018.1552450. S2CID 158779705 – via Taylor & Francis Online.
- ^ Cui, Haoran; Shi, Yubing (2022). "A Comparative Analysis of the Legislation on Maritime Militia Between China and Vietnam". Ocean Development & International Law. 53 (2–3): 149. doi:10.1080/00908320.2022.2103478. S2CID 251655218 – via Taylor & Francis Online.
- ^ https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2011/october/nobody-asked-me-naval-militia-underutilized