The Role Of The Maritime Militia-People’s War At Sea

When it comes to the literature surrounding the Chinese maritime militia, many sources tend to discuss the broader militia role in the PLA, rather than the specifics of a militia at sea. This isn’t to say there doesn’t exist an active maritime militia in China. In fact, the maritime militia has played a number of roles in PLAN operations across varying scenarios and encounters. The main purpose of this paper is to determine their role as a strategic and operational element in the Chinese Navy, and what kind of doctrine guides their use. Through official documents, scholarly writings, and other sources, I will lay out the role of such paramilitaries at sea and the specific missions of the maritime militia, as well as the degree to which the Chinese government endorses such activities. This will be done through the introduction of the historical background of their maritime militia, explaining the importance Chinese leaders attach to the militia, and the evolving role the militia is playing now in the modern PLA forces such as coordination and cooperation. Using the traditional strategic precepts of Mao Zedong’s People’s War, an analysis of the evolution and retaining of such a strategy under modern conditions will be conducted. The end will integrate a new People’s War concept with the current roles and activities of the Maritime Militia, and determine whether this People’s War at Sea strategy remains in use today.