The PLA(N)’s Third Fleet

By Jeff Gilmour, 26 August 2026

An article (“Out of the Shadows”) published in The Economist in July reported that last December, over 1,000 fishing vessels from China’s eastern seaboard lined up in an inverted L-shape in the seas north of Taiwan and held this formation for more than 12 hours and then dispersed.^[1] Over the next four months, these fishing boats formed up again four times, in a similar formation, in the East China Sea.

            As noted in this article, China is unusual in having three separate maritime forces at its disposal, the navy, the coast guard and its fishing fleet. These fishing boats are often sent to disputed reefs and islands to press China’s sovereignty claims. Chinese defence officials have praised this ‘third force’ as ‘irreplaceable’ based on its wide distribution, disguised identities, familiarization with the maritime conditions and knowledge of the areas.

            Some fishing boats received subsidies and traded their role in fishing to become full-time militia, crewing large, steel-hulled vessels equipped with big water cannons and communications gear. Particularly in the South China Sea, they swarm around the shoals and reefs China claims, carrying out surveillance and harassing foreign vessels.

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Our first article explores China’s rise as a shipbuilding powerhouse. The second marks the 35^th anniversary of the Gulf War by discussing Canada’s role. The third argues that RCN veterans are strategic assets who should be treated and trained accordingly. The final essay reviews defence capabilities now being ordered or built, especially for the Arctic, despite the lack of a new defence policy.

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