China’s ‘ghost fleet’: Report reveals how Beijing uses fishing boats for stealth operations in Taiwan Strait

A new report from the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has exposed how China is quietly using civilian fishing boats to advance military goals in the Taiwan Strait.

The study, published earlier this month and reported by the Taipei Times, reveals that Beijing’s so-called 'maritime militia,' a fleet of unmarked, dual-use fishing vessels, is increasingly being deployed for surveillance, intimidation, and information-gathering near Taiwan’s waters.

These operations, analysts say, allow China to exert pressure on Taiwan and its allies while avoiding open military confrontation, a tactic often described as gray zone warfare.

315 vessels under watch and hundreds behaving suspiciously

The CSIS team tracked GPS and automatic identification system (AIS) dat