Ships of the Chinese coast guard often accompany Chinese fishing vessels in their trips to the South China Sea. (Photo : Getty Images)
Chinese fishermen are fighting a covert battle in the disputed South China Sea, according to an article by The Washington Post. Rather than using its vast fishing fleet for mere food security purposes, China is using the fishermen as some sort of an advance guard to press its territorial claims.
Due to this method, tensions have flared between China and several Southeast Asian nations. Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam are just some of the countries reacting to this Chinese tactic, as fishermen with their back-up coast guard vessels venture into another country's territory.
Just last March, about 100 Chinese fishing boats and a Chinese coast guard were spotted in Malaysian waters.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese authorities seized a Chinese ship earlier this April.
The biggest incident that fueled tensions, however, was when Indonesian officials boarded a Chinese fishing vessel on March 20. An Indonesian ship started to tow the vessel close to shore, but a Chinese coast guard ship entered the scene and pushed the Chinese fishing boat back to the South China Sea, forcing Indonesians to release the tow line.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the fishing vessel was well within its rights, operating in China's "traditional fishing grounds."
"The Chinese authorities consider fishermen and fishing vessels important tools in expanding China's presence and the country's claims in the disputed waters," said Zhang Hongzhou from Nanyang University's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in an interview with The Washington Post.
"Fishermen are increasingly at the front line of the South China Sea disputes, and fishing incidents could trigger even bigger diplomatic security tensions between China and regional countries," Zhang added.
Chinese fishermen go along with the ploy despite the risks. Aside from catching more fish in the rich disputed waters, they believe they are also fulfilling their patriotic duty.
"It is our water," 50-year-old captain Chen Yuguo from Hainan said, "but if we don't fish there, how can we claim it is our territory?"
China's territorial claims span most of the South China Sea, encroaching on Malaysian, Vietnamese, Philippine and Bruneian shores. The country's basis is that the South China Sea has always been fishing a ground for Chinese fishermen.
