Japan protests as Chinese ships enter disputed waters

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by August

"Civilian Surveillance Ships"?

The PRC has a civilian naval security agency called "China Marine Surveillance" sort of like our Coast Guard, but not exactly. This agency reports to the State Oceanic Administration (kind of a branch of their version of the Department of the Interior). They are tasked with EEZ protection, charting and SAR. This is not to be confused with the China Coast Guard, Fisheries Law Enforcement Command, China Maritime Safety Administration and General Administration of Customs which also operate ships with tasks similar to our Coast Guard.

Normally such an Agency would be called "Paramilitary" and not "Civilian". Such reporting is coming from a journalist who is obviously not an expert on such things (and plus Paramilitary has a negative connotation to it).

These are some of the vessels they have sent: