The peacetime problem of China's maritime militia

How should other states deal with Chinese maritime militia boats?

They are hardest to manage before war, when ambiguous civilian status complicates the response. A proposed counterweight is similarly civilian-crewed fishing vessels with stronger hulls.

Before open conflict, authorities must work out whether a vessel is civilian, military or state-directed while managing the consequences of confronting a foreign-flagged ship. This ambiguity makes maritime militia especially troublesome when tensions are rising. Once fighting starts, these lightly protected vessels are expected to be much more vulnerable to warships. One proposed response is a fleet of robust, ice-rated fishing boats able to resist intimidation and collisions. Calling them offshore patrol vessels is rejected because this proposal specifically depends on civilian vessels with civilian crews.