Thousands of Chinese boats mass at sea, raising questionsThis photo taken on July 24, 2024, shows fishing boats berthing at a port to avoid Typhoon Gaemi in Xiamen, in eastern China's Fujian province. (Photo: AFP)TAIPEI — Thousands of Chinese fishing boats have been massing in geometric formations in the East China Sea, in coordinated actions that experts believe are part of Beijing's preparations for a potential regional crisis or conflict. "We've seen like two, 300, up to a thousand (Chinese fishing boats congregate), but anything exceeding a thousand I thought was unusual." China's massive fishing fleet operates in the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and the South China Sea, competing with fishers from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines. "They're actually part of the (Chinese) government, a flotilla, advancing their illegal interests in the South China Sea."

Source: Bangkok Post March 13, 2026 06:35 UTC