TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China’s expanding maritime militia has turned the Taiwan Strait into a testing ground for gray-zone warfare, Lin Chao-lun (林超倫) wrote in an article published Monday.

Lin, an associate research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the militia’s activities are larger in scale, more professional, and increasingly quasi-military, per CNA.

He said many vessels are equipped with advanced satellite navigation and multiple automatic-tracking systems. Beyond illegal fishing and surveillance, some can deploy seabed sensors and weather buoys, posing a direct threat to Taiwan’s maritime security.

Lin noted that many intercepted boats lack names, registration, or certificates, making them hard to trace. Their missions often involve intelligence collection or testing Taiwan’s readiness, including probing undersea cables.

He added that militia operations have become more integrated with the People’s Liberation Army, blurring civilian and military lines and expanding Beijing’s capacity for hybrid warfare.

Although there is no conclusive evidence of permanent militia deployment in the strait, Lin said Chinese fishing fleets frequently gather near Taiwan’s northwestern and offshore waters during fishing bans. He warned that Beijing could apply its “occupy, harass, control” model from the South China Sea to Taiwan’s outlying islands, gradually eroding Taiwan’s defensive depth.

To counter the threat, Lin proposed improving information transparency, strengthening defense and law enforcement rules of engagement, enhancing international intelligence cooperation, and bolstering domestic resilience through public awareness and infrastructure protection.