News Analysis Despite Beijing’s disclaimers, China’s maritime militia is very real. It is composed of vessels that look like civilian fishing boats, but are tasked with supporting the Chinese Navy in controlling the seas. The sailors are called “Little Blue Men,” a play on “little green men from Mars.” When pressed for an explanation, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) refers to them as the “so-called maritime militia.” Seafood is key to China’s food security. China consumes 65 million tons of fish per year, which is 45 percent of the global volume. According to CCP official sources, China maintains the largest fishing fleet in the world, with 2,701 boats and ships. The London-based Overseas Development Institute, however, estimates that China deploys 187,000 fishing boats, including  17,000 vessels in distant-water operations. At least 100 of these vessels and 1,800 sailors operate under the command of the People’s Armed Forces Maritime Militia (PAFMM). …