little blue man

noun

A member of the Maritime Militia of the People's Republic of China, primarily operating on 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.

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Meanings

nounlittle blue man (plural little blue men)

plural little blue men

  1. in pluralgeopoliticsA member of the Maritime Militia of the People's Republic of China, primarily operating on 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.

Origin

From little + blue + man. Coined by Andrew S. Erickson of the Naval War College by analogy with little green man, Russian covert soldiers deployed during the 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 小藍人 /小蓝人
  • 小藍人 /小蓝人 (xiǎolánrén)Translations
Cite this entry
APA

little blue man. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/little%20blue%20man

MLA

“little blue man.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/little%20blue%20man. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “little blue man,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/little%20blue%20man.

Source: little blue man on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.