The Chinese-flagged Zhong Yuan Yu 16 sails near Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands in July 2021. The CCP uses thousands of distant-water fishing vessels as part of its military-civilian fusion strategy. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Indo-Pacific Defense Forum discusses the implications of the Chinese People’s Republic’s military-civilian fusion strategy.
If there are hostilities between China and the US, the US Coast Guard is likely to have a lot of interaction with nominally civilian Chinese merchant and fishing vessels, but China is blurring the distinction between civilian and military.
Will we have to start hunting them down? Are they innocent or acting on behalf of the Chinese military? They might lay mines, scuttle their ship in an important channel or just report intelligence. Maybe no way to tell without boarding. Will they resist? How do we keep our boarding parties from being attacked or held hostage? Are there circumstances where sink on sight is justified? If they are unexpectedly heavily armed, can we call in backup? What about Chinese vessels in US ports?
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
I find their maritime militia absolutely fascinating. I am not sure any other state, perhaps India?, could establish such an organisation.
It is a huge government subsidy program, but they do want something back, and they get it.
For it is more a fundamentals of sea power thing. Hulls in the water and presence and maneuver.