The People's Armed Forces Maritime Militia (PAFMM) are linked to and backed by
the chinese people's liberation army and
navy and have proved to be an
aggravating presence in the south china
sea. The militia group uses the status of
civilian vessel to venture into
contested areas and mount challenges to
rival navies including Vietnam and the Philippines. The group target countries that have
rival sovereignty claims over island
clusters and shipping lanes in the south
china sea. But due to their status as a civilian
vessel official militaries are unable to
use force to deter them.
The militia was involved in the
harassment of vietnamese survey ships in
2011 and the chinese oil Rig Deadlock in
2014 when vietnam's economic exclusion
zone was encroached on by beijing's oil
vessel. According to a 2019 u.s defense
intelligence agency report the PAFMM plays a major role in coercive
activities to achieve china's political
goals without fighting. Unsurprisingly the actions of the
militia on behalf of the chinese
military subvert international law
leading to increased anger between
beijing and its other asian neighbours.
China's militarization of the region has
been unrelenting culminating in the
emergence of huge island fortresses in
the spratly islands of which vietnam and
the philippines have also staked claims
over. The moving of its aircraft carriers
airstrips and weapons into the region
has earned the cluster of bases the
nickname the great wall of sand.
The bases also appear to boast
sophisticated technology and developed
resources with communication antennae
underground petrol oil and lubricant
storage tanks and control towers.
Despite the massive statement of intent
from beijing the u.s has not let up on
its challenges to china's audacious
claims, sending warships through the
paracel islands in november. China's military said we urge the u.s to
stop these provocative actions to avoid
any unforeseeable accidents.
The south china sea is host to lucrative
shipping lanes and trading ports
provoking president Xi Jinping to
enforce a controversial 9-line
demarcation. It marks an area which china deems to be
its territory. The demarcation enforces a claim over
all of the island clusters in the region
and 90 of the south china sea as a whole
but is deemed illegal by UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law Of the Sea).
