China’s Maritime Militia Threatens South China Sea Order

Hundreds of Chinese maritime militia ships are operating in contested areas of the South China Sea on a consistent basis, according to a new U.S. think tank report that says this poses a significant challenge to “maritime order rooted in international law.” The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), says that for years China has been funding expansion of the militia to assert its claims in the South China Sea. In its report published Friday, Pulling Back the Curtain on China’s Maritime Militia, CSIS provides a profile of a force that it says has been operating alongside Chinese…