Despite warnings from the international community and Western countries, China has started coast guard patrols off the east coast of Taiwan. This has happened for the second time in a month. China says it is patrolling to enforce law within its jurisdiction, while Taiwan has warned of retaliatory action, considering it a violation of its sovereignty. It has reacted very strongly to this aggressive action of China. Taiwan has said in strong words that if Chinese ships try to harass them by intruding into their territorial waters, Taiwan will take all necessary steps to expel them.
On Wednesday itself, Taiwan had issued an advisory to its ships that if the Chinese Coast Guard demands to board and inspect their ships, then they should completely ignore it. Let us know why the importance of the East Coast has increased, what is China’s grey-zone warfare strategy and why is it using the Coast Guard instead of the Navy…
Patrolling for the second time in a month
This is the second time in about a month that China has sent its coast guard ships to the eastern coast of Taiwan. Earlier in June also, China had launched a similar campaign. China had claimed that the June operation was actually a response to the announcement by Japan and the Philippines that the two countries had started formal negotiations on their maritime boundaries. Beijing believed that these talks also included the Chinese waters near Taiwan, on which China stakes its claim.
importance of east coast
Historically, Taiwan’s east coast (which faces directly onto the Pacific Ocean) has been considered the safest area for the Taiwanese military, as China is on Taiwan’s west coast (Taiwan Strait). But now China is practicing to surround Taiwan from all sides by increasing patrolling on the east coast as well. Its purpose is to block the way for help from America or other allied countries in times of crisis.
China’s gray-zone warfare strategy
China has made a clever move by sending the Coast Guard in place of its Navy. This is called grey-zone strategy. Grey-zone warfare is a term in military diplomacy that describes a situation of neither total peace (white) nor total war (black). This is a gray zone between these two. In simple language, gray-zone warfare is achieving one’s strategic goals (such as capture of land or sea) through intimidation, exhaustion and manipulation, without directly firing on the enemy or declaring war. Coast Guard is a civilian and paramilitary force. By using it, the risk of starting a direct war is reduced, but with this, continuous pressure can be put on the enemy.
What methods does China use in gray-zone strategy?
- Salami Slicing Strategy: Just as a salad (salaam) is cut into thin slices, similarly China intrudes slowly (a few meters or kilometres) into the borders of other countries. Every time the capture is very less, hence the opposite country does not start a war. But with time these small steps turn into occupation of large areas.
- Use of fishermen’s boats: Instead of sending warships, China sends a large number of fishing boats. These appear to be ordinary boats, but many of them are paramilitary forces working with the support of the Chinese government, which works to strengthen China’s claim in the sea.
- Strategy to surround: To put pressure on an island or sea area, China surrounds it with its coast guard and other ships. This makes it difficult for essential goods to reach the soldiers or people present there and increases the pressure on them to leave the place.
- Use of other methods instead of pills: To create pressure without starting a direct war, China sometimes adopts methods like water cannons, powerful laser lights and ramming ships instead of firing bullets. With this, he maintains pressure on his opponents without waging an open war.
Why is this strategy so dangerous?
Under international law (UN Charter), any country can fight a war in its defense or call its allies only when there is an armed attack on it. The cleverness of China is that it always keeps the intensity of its attacks one step below this legal limit. Due to this, even big countries like America are not able to directly intervene militarily to protect their allies, because technically no war has started.
Also read: 250 years of US independence: 300+ wars fought, is the superpower collapsing?
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