Amost 200 Chinese militia ships were present near disputed areas of the South China Sea on any given day last year, or a 35% increase, a United States think tank said. “The data show that China’s militia is as active as ever,” the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) said in a report released on Feb. 28. “An average of 195 militia ships were seen across these features on any given day in 2023, an increase of 35% from AMTI’s last observation of the militia over a 12-month period in 2021-2022.” It said more than 180 militia ships were spotted at Mischief Reef, which the Philippines calls Panganiban, from July 2023 “after only a minimal presence in the months prior.”

Atienza, K. A. T., & Ordoñez, J. V. D. (2024, March 4). US think tank says 195 Chinese militia vessels linger daily in South China Sea. BusinessWorld, p. S1/12.