China sent 200 vessels (boats, I suppose, rather than ships) to a reef in disputed waters as a provocation against the Philippines.

I don't know whether it is true, as claimed, that their crews are militias, but if they aren't this time, they will be in the future.

China has an advantage in this confrontation because it can mass its forces at any point, whereas the countries it is attacking cannot easily do so.

Sending 200 probably armed small vessels separately into Philippine waters at once would be even more troublesome.