Thread by @AndrewSErickson

Ambassador Huang, allow me to recommend:

The #China #MaritimeMilitia #Bookshelf--

andrewerickson.com/2021/03/the-ch…

Includes multiple official items from your own government on your nation's #ThirdSeaForce.

China is often more transparent in #Chinese :)

Truth best limits "speculation"

https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines/status/1374572994589126659

And here's #China's own official state media documenting progress of its #MaritimeMilitia... in plain #English!

english.chinamil.com.cn/news-channels/…

News Channels/China Military News
Maritime militia increases drills, expands in scope
Source: China Daily Editor: Yao Jianing
2016-02-02 17:16

But don't take my word for it, read #ChinaDaily:
"As the People's Liberation Army upgrades its navy, commissioning dozens of new ships under a watchful global eye,a less noticed force,China's maritime militia, is also improving its operational capability."
english.chinamil.com.cn/news-channels/…

"Despite a history that can be traced back to as early as the 1970s, China's maritime militia remains weaker compared with the land militia due to a lack of government funding and volunteers.

However, the situation has changed as a result of the country's efforts to strengthen..

"its maritime capabilities & safeguard its interests at sea.

According to the #PLA #Beihai City Military Command in the #Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, the proportion of #maritime #militia in the city increased tenfold over the past two years, from less than 2% at the end..."

"...of 2013 to more than 20 percent last year.

That enabled the city's #maritime #militia to play a bigger role in #drills organized by the #PLA #Navy - in 2013 it participated in only one such exercise, while it took part in four naval drills in 2014 & seven drills last year."

"Most of the maritime militia is made up of local fishermen.

Sr Col Xu Qingduan, commander of the PLA Beihai City Military Command, said the city's maritime militia has been required to take part in more air & naval exercises since 2014 while the land militia's role has shrunk."

"This fact pushed the command to negotiate with city government departments on the expansion of #maritime #militia, he said, adding that the government & the military decided to give more favorable policies & financial support to the civilian #sea force."

english.chinamil.com.cn/news-channels/…

"A number of #Navy #veterans & experienced sailors have been recruited in #Beihai's #maritime #militia & 10 specialized teams have been established for transport, #reconnaissance, obstacle clearance, medical service & equipment repair."

english.chinamil.com.cn/news-channels/…

#Guangxi #PAFMM

"The #maritime #militia recently worked w/ #Navy #warships in a #joint #operation #drill & successfully fulfilled their designated tasks, according to Xu's #command.

#Beihai is not alone in improving its irregular maritime force."

english.chinamil.com.cn/news-channels/…

#China #Guangxi #PAFMM

"#Hainan's #Sansha, #China's youngest city that administers vast island groups & their surrounding waters in the #SouthChinaSea, is enhancing its maritime militia's training & giving more duties to the #force."

english.chinamil.com.cn/news-channels/…

#PAFMM #PRC #ArmedForces #ThirdSeaForce

"Local fishermen have assisted >250 law enforcement operations at sea over the past three years.

#Jiangmen in #Guangdong province is also organizing realistic #sea operation exercises for local #militiamen to strengthen their #combat capability."

english.chinamil.com.cn/news-channels/…

#PAFMM

"Statistics released by #China's #fishery authorities showed the nation had nearly 21 million #fishermen in 2013, the most in the world."

english.chinamil.com.cn/news-channels/…

"According to the latest information published by @UNFAO in 2012, #China had nearly 439,000 motorized #fishing #vessels that could operate at #sea."

english.chinamil.com.cn/news-channels/…

>>>>>> READ MORE ABOUT CHINA'S #MARITIME #MILITIA HERE:

andrewerickson.com/2021/03/the-ch…

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27…