World
Thousands of Chinese Fishing Boats Quietly Form Vast Sea Barriers
China quietly mobilized thousands of fishing boats twice in recent weeks to form massive floating barriers of at least 200 miles long, showing a new level of coordination that could give Beijing more ways to impose control in contested seas.
The two recent operations unfolded largely unnoticed. An analysis of ship-tracking data by The New York Times reveals the scale and complexity of the maneuvers for the first time.
Last week, about 1,400 Chinese vessels abruptly dropped their usual fishing activities or sailed out of their home ports and congregated in the East China Sea. By Jan. 11, they had assembled into a rectangle stretching more than 200 miles. The formation was so dense that some approaching cargo ships appeared to skirt around them or had to zigzag through, ship-tracking data showed.
Ship formation on Jan. 11
Maritime and military experts said the maneuvers suggested that China was strengthening its maritime militia, which is made up of civilian fishing boats trained to join in military operations. They said the maneuvers show that Beijing can rapidly muster large numbers of the boats in disputed seas.
The Jan. 11 maneuver followed a similar operation last month, when about 2,000 Chinese fishing boats assembled in two long, parallel formations on Christmas Day in the East China Sea. Each stretched 290 miles long, about the distance from New York City to Buffalo, forming a reverse L shape, ship-position data indicates. The two gatherings, weeks apart in the same waters, suggested a coordinated effort, analysts said.
Ship formation on Dec. 25
The unusual formations were spotted by Jason Wang, the chief operating officer of ingeniSPACE, a company that analyzes data, and were independently confirmed by The Times using ship-location data provided by Starboard Maritime Intelligence.
“I was thinking to myself, ‘This is not right’,” he said, describing his response when he spotted the fishing boats on Christmas Day. “I mean I’ve seen like a couple hundred — let’s say high hundreds,” he said, referring to Chinese boats he has previously tracked, “but nothing of this scale or of this distinctive formation.”
In a conflict or crisis, for instance over Taiwan, China could mobilize tens of thousands of civilian ships, including fishing boats, to clog sea lanes and complicate military and supply operations of its opponents.
Chinese fishing boats would be too small to effectively enforce a blockade. But they could possibly obstruct movement by American warships, said Lonnie Henley, a former U.S. intelligence officer who has studied China’s maritime militia.
The masses of the smaller boats could also act “as missile and torpedo decoys, overwhelming radars or drone sensors with too many targets,” said Thomas Shugart, a former U.S. naval officer now at the Center for a New American Security.
Analysts tracking the ships were struck by the scale of the maneuvers, even given China’s record of mobilizing civilian boats, which has involved anchoring boats for weeks on contested reefs, for instance, to project Beijing’s claims in territorial disputes.
“The sight of that many vessels operating in concert is staggering,” said Mark Douglas, an analyst at Starboard, a company with offices in New Zealand and the United States. Mr. Douglas said that he and his colleagues had “never seen a formation of this size and discipline before.”
“The level of coordination to get that many vessels into a formation like this is significant,” he said.
The assembled boats held relatively steady positions, rather than sailing in patterns typical of fishing, such as paths that loop or go back and forth, analysts said. The ship-location data draws on navigation signals broadcast by the vessels.
The operations appeared to mark a bold step in China’s efforts to train fishing boats to gather en masse, in order to impede or monitor other countries’ ships, or to help Beijing assert its territorial claims by establishing a perimeter, said Mr. Wang of ingeniSPACE.
“They’re scaling up, and that scaling indicates their ability to do better command and control of civilian ships,” he said.
The Chinese government has not said anything publicly about the fishing boats’ activities. The ship-signals data appeared to be reliable and not “spoofed” — that is, manipulated to create false impressions of the boats’ locations — Mr. Wang and Mr. Douglas both said.
Researchers at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, when approached by The Times with these findings, confirmed that they had observed the same packs of boats with their own ship-location analysis.
“They are almost certainly not fishing, and I can’t think of any explanation that isn’t state-directed,” Gregory Poling, the director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at C.S.I.S., wrote in emailed comments.
The fishing boats assembled in the East China Sea, near major shipping lanes that branch out from Shanghai, among the world’s busiest ports. Cargo ships crisscross the sea daily, including ones carrying Chinese exports to the United States.
These are maritime arteries that China would seek to control in a clash with the United States or its Asian allies, including in a possible crisis over Taiwan, the island-democracy that Beijing claims as its territory.
“My best guess is this was an exercise to see how the civilians would do if told to muster at scale in a future contingency, perhaps in support of quarantine, blockade, or other pressure tactics against Taiwan,” Mr. Poling wrote. A “quarantine” means a sea operation to seal off an area that is meant to fall short of an act of war.
The boat maneuvers in January took place shortly after Beijing held two days of military exercises around Taiwan, including practicing naval maneuvers to blockade the island. Beijing is also in a bitter dispute with Japan over its support for Taiwan.
The fishing boat operations could have been held to signal “opposition to Japan” or practice for possible confrontations with Japan or Taiwan, said Andrew S. Erickson, a professor at the U.S. Naval War College who studies China’s maritime activities. He noted that he spoke for himself, not for his college or the navy.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense and coast guard both declined to comment on the Chinese fishing boats, citing the need to protect their information-gathering capabilities.
Some of the fishing boats had taken part in previous maritime militia activities or belonged to fishing fleets known to be involved in militia activities, based on a scan of Chinese state media reports. China does not publish the names of most vessels in its maritime militia, making it difficult to identify the status of the boats involved.
But the tight coordination of the boats showed it was probably “an at-sea mobilization and exercise of maritime militia forces,” Professor Erickson said.
China has in recent years used maritime militia fishing boats in dozens or even hundreds to support its navy, sometimes by swarming, maneuvering dangerously close, and physically bumping other boats in disputes with other countries.
The recent massing of boats appeared to show that maritime militia units are becoming more organized and better equipped with navigation and communications technology.
“It does mark an improvement in their ability to marshal and control a large number of militia vessels,” said Mr. Henley, the former U.S. intelligence officer, who is now a non-resident senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia. “That’s one of the main challenges to making the maritime militia a useful tool for either combat support or sovereignty protection.”
Choe Sang-Hun contributed reporting from Seoul and Javier C. Hernández and Kiuko Notoya contributed reporting from Tokyo.
Data source: Starboard Maritime Intelligence.
About the data: We analyzed automatic identification systems (AIS) data of ships that broadcast positions near the formation in the 24-hour periods of Dec. 25, 2025 and Jan. 11, 2026 that either follow China’s fishing ship naming convention or are registered as China-flagged fishing vessels. Ships do not always transmit information and may transmit incorrect information. The positions shown in maps are last known positions at the specific times.
HAVANA (AP) — After a day spent selling books, Solanda Oña typically boards a bus from a wealthy seaside district in Havana to her home in the city’s working-class center.
But on Thursday night, the bus never came. The 64-year-old bookseller spent the night sleeping in a nearby restaurant instead, worried that this could be the new normal if the gas that fuels the island runs out.
Anxieties simmered in Havana on Friday, a day after Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned that U.S. efforts to block oil supplies would take a heavy toll on the Caribbean nation and asked Cubans to endure further sacrifices to weather the impending hardship.
Many Cubans, already reeling from years of deepening economic crisis, were left asking: What more can we sacrifice?
“I’m very worried,” Oña said. “Before, things were always difficult. But there was always one bus. One way to get home. Now, there are none.”
By Friday morning, working class residents like Oña were already seeing an inkling of what the future might hold.
People wait to board transportation in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Already unreliable public buses stopped running altogether, leaving many stranded for hours. Others were left walking large distances or hitchhiking. Long gas lines and black outs, a constant on the island, have grown even worse as U.S. President Donald Trump presses down on Cuba with an increasingly heavy hand.
Last week, Trump signed an executive order threatening to impose tariffs on countries providing oil to Cuba, a move that could further cripple an island plagued by a deepening energy crisis.
On Friday, the national transportation company also said it was cutting routes in the east of the island while the University of Havana said it would cancel some events and push for more remote learning, citing “energy deficits.”
A commuter carries a cake in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Meanwhile, much of the city of 2 million – schools, banks, bakeries and shops – continued to operate as usual, underscoring how normal the crisis has become on the Caribbean island. Taxis, shared electric motorcycles and other transportation organized by some employers were still working in Havana’s capital. However, taxi fares remain far out of reach for the many Cubans living on a state salary of less than $20 a month.
While the U.S. announced $6 million in aid to Cubans Thursday night, severing the island from its primary energy sources has dealt a blow to the nation, especially to civilians who often bear the brunt of the economic crisis. Cuba only produces 40% of the oil it consumes.
The island’s communist government says U.S. sanctions cost the country more than $7.5 billion between March 2024 and February 2025, substantially more than the year before.
The crisis deepened after Venezuela — once Cuba’s primary oil-rich ally — ceased shipments in January, following a U.S. military operation that captured then-President Nicolás Maduro. Then, in late January Mexico, a long vocal ally of Cuba, halted its oil exports to the island.
A man wearing a jacket in the colors of Venezuela’s flag lines up to purchase fuel at a gas station in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Left with few alternatives, many Cubans now say the current economic turmoil U.S. policies have wrought on their daily lives is comparable to the severe economic depression in the 1990s known as the Special Period, following cuts in Soviet aid.
“What does it mean to not allow a single drop of fuel to reach a country?” Díaz-Canel said. “It affects the transportation of food, food production, public transportation, the functioning of hospitals, institutions of all kinds, schools, economic production, tourism. How do our vital systems function without fuel?”
For Cristina Díaz, a 51-year-old mother of two, the answer was to walk to her work as a house cleaner. She was joined by packs of others in the capital that strolled along the side of the road on Friday, once again adapting to a new reality.
“We’re living as best we can,” Díaz said. “What can I do? I live here, I was born here and this is my lot. I have to walk to get to work and to be able to feed my children.”
People use a bicycle taxi in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
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Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
World
Iranian official says nuclear talks will continue after US, Tehran negotiations had ‘a good start’ in Oman
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that indirect nuclear talks with the U.S. in Oman were “a good start” and that there was a “consensus” that the negotiations would continue.
“After a long period without dialogue, our viewpoints were conveyed, and our concerns were expressed. Our interests, the rights of the Iranian people, and all matters that needed to be stated were presented in a very positive atmosphere, and the other side’s views were also heard,” Araghchi said.
“It was a good start, but its continuation depends on consultations in our respective capitals and deciding on how to proceed,” he added.
IRAN’S KHAMENEI STAYS AWAY FROM TALKS AS JD VANCE SAYS DYNAMIC MAKES DIPLOMACY ‘MUCH MORE COMPLICATED’
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi meets with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi in Muscat, Oman, Feb. 6, 2026. (Iranian Foreign Ministry/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/ Handout via Reuters)
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi met with both Iranian and American officials on Friday, the Foreign Ministry of Oman said on X. The ministry said that al-Busaidi held separate meetings with Araghchi and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
“The consultations focused on preparing the appropriate conditions for resuming diplomatic and technical negotiations, while emphasizing their importance, in light of the parties’ determination to ensure their success in achieving sustainable security and stability,” the Foreign Ministry of Oman said.
Oman reportedly put out a public statement acknowledging the talks after journalists with The Associated Press saw Iranian and American officials separately visit the palace, the outlet reported. The AP said it was not immediately clear if talks were done for the day, but noted that the palace was empty after the convoys left.
The Iranian representatives reportedly met with al-Busaidi first, and only after their convoy left the palace did another set of vehicles arrive, one of which had an American flag, according to the AP. The outlet said the SUV flying the American flag stayed at the palace for an hour and a half.
Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner meet ahead of the U.S.-Iran talks, in Muscat, the capital of Oman, on Feb. 6, 2026. (Oman Foreign Ministry/Anadolu via Getty Images)
TRUMP SAYS IRAN ALREADY HAS US TERMS AS MILITARY STRIKE CLOCK TICKS
The talks were initially set to take place in Turkey, but were later moved, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who confirmed the change in venue on Wednesday.
“We thought we had an established forum that had been agreed to in Turkey. It was put together by a number of partners who wanted to attend and be a part of it,” Rubio said when taking questions from reporters on Wednesday.
“I saw conflicting reports yesterday from the Iranian side saying that they had not agreed to that. So, that’s still being worked through. At the end of the day, the United States is prepared to engage in, has always been prepared to engage with Iran.”
Iranian officials also reportedly tried to limit the talks to a bilateral U.S.-Iran format, excluding other Arab and regional countries, according to Axios.
Supreme Leader Khamenei announces new Revolutionary Guard appointment while central bank chief resigns amid protests. (Fars News Agency via AP/Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA/ Reuters )
RUBIO CONFIRMS IRAN DEMANDED VENUE CHANGE FOR NUCLEAR TALKS
Tensions between Iran and the U.S. have been high since Washington bombed Tehran’s nuclear facilities in the summer of 2025. Things escalated further as the U.S. condemned Iran’s treatment of anti-regime protesters, with President Donald Trump threatening to act if government actors used violence against demonstrators.
Trump recently said in an interview with NBC News that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “should be very worried,” though the president acknowledged that the two countries were “negotiating.”
A former Iranian political prisoner said Trump is “the only U.S. President who is not afraid of [the Iranian] regime.” (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images; Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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When pressed about why he has not followed through on threats to take action if the regime used violence against protesters, Trump said that the U.S. “had their back” and that the “country’s a mess right now because of us,” referring to the strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Trump also told NBC News that the U.S. had learned that Iran was attempting to build a new nuclear site in a different part of the country.
The president said that he issued a threat that if Iran were to build a new nuclear facility, the U.S. would “do very bad things.”
It is not immediately clear whether there will be more discussions over the course of the weekend or if there are any plans for direct discussions between Iranian and American officials.
The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Any regime change in Iran should come “from within” and be led by “more moderate forces” than hardline Islamic fundamentalists, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Euronews.
Olmert, who served as Israel’s premier between 2006 and 2009, spoke to Euronews just weeks after protests swept across Iran in early January.
According to the UN’s special rapporteur on Iran, Mai Soto, the unrest has resulted in at least 5,000 deaths, while insiders in Iran Euronews spoke to and human rights activists fear that the number might surpass 30,000.
Tensions between Iran and the United States have also been rising since President Donald Trump renewed pressure on Tehran, even threatening a “massive armada” if Iran refused to return to negotiations over its nuclear programme.
“In the end, the regime will be changed from within by the people of Iran — and I certainly hope so,” Olmert said. “But I hope it can happen without a massive number of Iranian citizens being killed by the country’s leadership.”
Olmert added that despite Trump’s warnings, he does not believe that even a major American military strike would bring about regime change. “With all due respect to President Trump and his threats, I don’t think that even a massive American attack will change the regime,” Olmert said.
‘Same interests’ in high-stakes negotiations
High-stakes talks between Iran and the US began on Friday morning in Oman, with Iran’s nuclear programme and the regime’s brutal repression of protesters high on the agenda.
Ahead of the discussions, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had been “quite clear” in his demands, including insisting on “zero nuclear capability.” Trump also warned that Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “should be very worried.”
Regional powers are hoping the talks could lead to a broader easing of tensions, fearing any escalation would further destabilise the Middle East.
Olmert said he hoped for an agreement that would end Iran’s nuclear ambitions and also halt its ballistic missile programme, though he admitted he was not optimistic.
He argued that both Washington and Tehran have a shared interest in presenting Iran’s nuclear threat — long described by Israel as an attempt to develop nuclear weapons — as no longer urgent.
“I think both sides have the same interests, strangely enough,” Olmert said. “The Americans want to claim they have completely destroyed the nuclear programme because the president needs to show he is a great winner. The Iranians, meanwhile, want to convince the Americans they have already done enough.”
Others, including Anour Gargash, adviser to the UAE president, have urged Tehran to seize the opportunity for diplomacy, rebuild its economy, and avoid another regional confrontation.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted that meaningful progress would require broader discussions beyond nuclear issues, including Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities, its support for armed groups across the region, and its treatment of its own citizens.
While there are no clear signs the Iranian regime is on the verge of collapse, mounting pressures — including economic mismanagement, corruption, heavy sanctions, currency instability, and soaring inflation — have placed the leadership under unprecedented strain.
Trump has not clarified whether regime change is an objective of any potential strikes, and Olmert warned that further US interference could backfire by strengthening the regime while it remains vulnerable.
He also noted that Iran is still recovering from last summer’s Operation Midnight Hammer, which severely damaged nuclear facilities and exposed weaknesses in air defences and intelligence.
“I don’t think negotiations will change it,” Olmert concluded. “In fact, perhaps the opposite — negotiations may strengthen the Revolutionary Guards and the ayatollahs, allowing them to carry on.”
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