Why Thousands of Chinese Maritime Militia Are Swarming Taiwan, Philippines | Taiwan Talks EP653

Host: Yin Khvat Hundreds of maritime militia disguised as fishing vessels have swarmed around Philippine-controlled features like Thitu Island in the Spratly Islands. However, new intelligence shows that the Taiwan Strait is also a key destination for these vessels. The fishing vessels make up China’s so-called “invisible fleet,” a hidden navy of vessels that are difficult to detect and track, and which operate below the level of aggression. In the Taiwan Strait, China deploys these maritime militia combined with civilian cargo ships and even dredgers. So what is this secret armada doing? How are Taiwan and the Philippines linked as targets? And how might this wider Chinese operation proceed? Our guests: Chen Fang-yu Soochow University Political Science Assistant Professor Marvin Bernardo University of Philippines Researcher IngeniSPACE Analyst in Maritime Domain Awareness Chapters: 00:00:00 – China's ‘Hidden’ Maritime Militias 00:01:12 – Why is China Expanding ‘Invisible’ Fleet? 00:07:20 – Chinese Militias Participate in Drills 00:17:56 – U.S.: China May Take Outlying Island #WhitsunReef #SalamiSlicing #SouthChinaSea #WestPhilippineSea #WPS #Anaconda #Dredger #SeaCable #CargoVessel #PeoplesLiberationArmy #PLA #PLANavy #TaiwanStrait #SouthChinaSea #NavalExercise #InvisibileFleet #MaritimeMilitia #USIntelligence #MilitaryDrill #ThituIsland #SpratlyIslands #Philippines #NineDashLine #TaiwanContingency #TaiwanPhilippineRelations #TaiwanTalks