China-Philippines tensions: Is a maritime militia Beijing says doesn’t exist causing chaos in the South China Sea?

News Snapshot:

CNN — News that a Chinese coast guard ship fired water cannon on a smaller Philippine counterpart in a disputed area of the South China Sea should be worrying enough, given the region is widely seen as a potential flashpoint for global conflict. But look more closely at video footage of the incident and tucked away in the details is something arguably even more striking: some of the most compelling evidence yet, according to analysts, of the links between the Chinese military and an alleged maritime militia sometimes referred to as Beijing’s “little blue men.” Footage supplied by the Philippines...