Beijing's waterborne forces have become very active over the past five years. Sortie rates are increasingly high, and the number of global maritime deployments by the People's Liberation Army Navy is growing. The following bullets highlight some of the emerging trends that Stratfor has identified: Chinese forays beyond "the first island chain" off the country's shores into the Philippine Sea have become routine, often involving vessels from multiple fleets. Chinese vessels have expanded naval activity in the South China Sea, reaching as far south as the Sunda Strait to conduct exercises close to Christmas Island. Anti-piracy action groups have remained a continuing theme since their inception in 2009, with 18 task groups dispatched so far. Chinese surface action groups have traveled to places as far afield as Bulgaria, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Australia, Tanzania and Nigeria, among other destinations.