Casting a Wider Net: The Activities and Evolution of China's Maritime Militia in the Yellow Sea

Abstract

This chapter addresses the activities and evolution of People’s Armed Forces Maritime Militia (PAFMM) units in the Yellow Sea, with particular attention to tactics, technology, and industrialization. It is broadly evident that the PAFMM’s mission is to declare PRC sovereignty in disputed waters and that it and affiliated forces collect intelligence in the Yellow Sea, even as it remains unclear what precisely the PAFMM is charged with achieving there. Based on comparisons of conflicts between Chinese fishers and South Korean law enforcement, PAFMM training, and known PAFMM operations in other waters, there is a possibility that the PAFMM is engaged in a low-intensity, long-term effort to establish PRC control over the Yellow Sea as well. Because they must interoperate with PLAN forces and China’s coastal defense infrastructure, PAFMM forces employ advanced technology to support their intelligence collection activities. Technology used by the PAFMM will probably become increasingly sophisticated. This trend, along with the expansion of the PAFMM to include assets from non-fishing industries, will bolster China’s steadily improving maritime domain awareness and the PAFMM’s potential for monitoring South Korean military forces and activities. PAFMM operations in the South China Sea might presage similar efforts in the Yellow Sea, underscoring the need for Seoul to follow developments closely. Possible scenarios include PAFMM forces clashing with South Korea’s Coast Guard over Socotra Rock or disputed fishing zones.