Should Beijing use its maritime militia as a backup force in the South China Sea?

China's National Institute for South China Sea Studies has suggested using the country's maritime militia as an additional force to gather intelligence and maintain a consistent presence in the South China Sea, a region where tensions over territorial disputes with the Philippines are escalating. Wu Shicun, the institute's founding president, made the proposal during the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, an annual defense conference attended by security officials and researchers from more than 100 nations.

Wu argued that while most maritime militia members are civilian fishermen, their role can be expanded to safeguard China's maritime rights and interests during critical moments. The militia primarily engage in fishing, but they could be utilized for tasks such as protecting other vessels, guarding facilities like drilling platforms, and monitoring and collecting data. Their smaller size, ranging from a few hundred to a thousand tonnes, makes them a cost-effective solution for maintaining a continuous presence at sea.

The Philippines has frequently accused Chinese maritime militia vessels of operating near Scarborough Shoal, a region known as Huangyan Island in China. In July, three Chinese militia vessels were involved in a confrontation with the Philippine Coast Guard. Wu attributes the growth in maritime militia deployments to increasing tensions over Scarborough Shoal, which he expects to intensify as both China and the Philippines intensify their actions in the area.

While China has traditionally downplayed the involvement of the maritime militia in South China Sea disputes, Wu emphasized that the force is a supplementary option for maritime rights protection, alongside the China Coast Guard and the Chinese military. He noted that the militia's reliance on civilian fishing skills means they are particularly well-suited to tasks like monitoring and information collection, as well as providing support during military confrontations.