Overview
- Satellite imagery and AIS data show roughly 2,000 vessels formed twin inverted L-shaped lines on December 25 about 300 kilometers northeast of Taiwan.
- About 1,000 boats reassembled in early January into a roughly 400-kilometer rectangle, then around 1,200 aligned in two long parallel lines weeks later in the East China Sea.
- The vessels held position for about 30 hours despite near gale-force winds, with ships at times spaced around 500 meters apart and lines extending nearly 400 kilometers.
- Maritime-intelligence firms verified the signals as genuine, many of the same boats appeared across the events, and analysts said the behavior was not consistent with fishing.
- AIS tracks pointed to origins in Zhejiang province, and experts linked the pattern to possible militia mobilization for roles such as logistics, surveillance or harassment in a Taiwan contingency, while Beijing and Japan’s coast guard declined comment.