Taiwan has raised concerns over unusual formations of Chinese fishing boats in the East China Sea, which have occurred three times since December last year. The largest formation, spotted on Christmas Day, involved around 2,000 boats arranged in two parallel lines stretching 470km, roughly 300km northeast of Taiwan. Analysts say the scale and orderliness suggest the vessels were not engaged in fishing.
The second incident in early January saw 1,000 boats form an uneven rectangle 400km long, maintaining the position for over a day. The most recent formation earlier this month involved about 1,200 boats in parallel rows further east, holding position for over 30 hours. The formations were so dense that cargo ships had to alter course to pass.
Security experts have linked the activity to China's maritime militia, particularly fleets from Zhejiang province, which has the largest number of documented militia units. These units consist of commercial fishing boats whose crews may be registered as militia members and can be mobilised for strategic purposes. The Chinese navy is the world's largest by size, and a US congressional report in January described the fishing fleet as a strategic tool for expanding influence and intimidating rivals.
Beijing has not explained the formations, which some analysts interpret as mobilisation testing or a show of force. The ambiguity forces Japan, Taiwan, and the US to prepare for worst-case scenarios. The latest display coincided with a resumption of Chinese air force activity around Taiwan after a week-long lull, as global attention shifted to the Middle East conflict.
