little blue man

From little +‎ blue +‎ man. Coined by Andrew S. Erickson of the Naval War College by analogy with little green man, the term used to refer to covert soldiers used by Russia during the 2014 annexation of Crimea.

little blue man (plural little blue men)

1. (geopolitics, chiefly in the plural) A member of the Maritime Militia of the People's Republic of China, primarily composed of fishing and motorboats, who aid in the pursuit of its maritime interests in disputed waters (and especially those relating to the territorial disputes in the South China Sea); chiefly when viewed as a covert projection of power, intended to encroach on the sovereignty of other countries.

• → Mandarin: (Taiwan) 小藍人／小蓝人 (xiǎolánrén) (calque)