- By Aditya Jha
- Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:08 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Amid the ongoing war between Iran and Israel-US, the experts pointed out that China could also be preparing for a potential crisis. The reports emerged after thousands of Chinese fishing boats were seen together in geometric formations in the East China Sea. While Beijing has not released any official statement yet, the experts stated that such large deployment was possibly not only for fishing purposes. The conflict in the Middle East has completed its two weeks, leading to a surge in oil prices, especially in the Asian countries.
Jason Wang, chief operating officer of ingeniSPACE, which analyses satellite imagery, stated that the deployment of ships at such a large scale did not seem "usual". "Something didn't look right to me because in nature very rarely do you see straight lines," Wang said, reported NDTV. "We've seen like two, 300, up to a thousand (Chinese fishing boats congregate), but anything exceeding a thousand I thought was unusual," he added.
As per AFP, the maritime experts pointed out that the deployment, which took place on December 25, 2025, was on a scale they had never witnessed before, leading to the speculations. As per the customs data released by Beijing earlier on Tuesday, China also boosted oil purchases in the first two months of the year before fighting broke out in West Asia.
It imported 15.8 per cent more oil in January-February this year compared to the same time in 2025. China, the world's biggest oil importer, could have decided to increase its imports as part of its strategy.
The war between Iran and the joint forces of Israel and the US, which began with the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, has completed its two weeks. Iran, in its retaliation, has targeted the prominent Israeli cities and the US bases in the Middle East, leading to severe damages.