Beijing Preparing For Conflict? Thousands Of Boats Mass In East China Sea Thousands of Chinese fishing boats formed large geometric patterns in the East China Sea, according to satellite data and ship-tracking analysis. The vessels, positioned as close as 500 metres to each other, held their formations for about 30 hours before dispersing in near gale-force winds. Experts believe the coordinated movements signal Beijing’s potential preparations for a regional crisis or conflict. Jason Wang, chief operating officer of ingeniSPACE, noted the unusual nature of the event. Monitoring ship-tracking data on Christmas Day, he observed roughly 2,000 fishing boats arranged in two parallel inverted Ls, each spanning 400 kilometres. The vessels maintained their positions despite harsh weather conditions, a pattern rarely seen in natural fishing activities. “Something didn’t look right to me because in nature very rarely do you see straight lines,” Wang said. Maritime and military experts described the scale of the operation as unprecedented. The formations, detected around 300 kilometres northeast of Taiwan, involved thousands of boats, far exceeding typical gatherings. Similar incidents were recorded in early January, with around 1,000 vessels clustered in an uneven rectangle for over a day. Hundreds of these boats were also present during the December 25 event. Experts suggest the massing of boats was not for fishing purposes. Gregory Poling of the Center for Strategic and International Studies called the December 25 event “a demonstration with a military lens,” highlighting the ability to coordinate large numbers of vessels. Jennifer Parker, a former Australian naval officer, emphasized the unusual proximity of the boats, stating, “They’re definitely not fishing.#beijing #east_china_sea #ingenspace #center_for_strategic_and_international_studies #unseenlabs
