When China introduced the coastguard law on Jan 22, which took effect on Feb 1, a backlash ensued from its neighbours in the East and South China Sea, and their allies. China is deploying its coastguard whereas the rest of the region are deploying navies. This gives China the sort of pseudo-cover that they are stabilising Asia,” said Dr Collin Koh, Research Fellow with RSIS. “It is based on the theory that the white hulls tend to give a less militaristic impression so therefore, it tends to be more stability inducing.