by Ivy Ganadillo, Originally published on the StratJournal of Office of Naval Strategic Studies, Philippine Navy

  • China’s gray zone tactics enable China to challenge the existing status quo and rules-based system without employing coercive methods

  • When the lines of aggression blur, maritime agencies should be prepared to operate and respond to different conditions and use to a maximum advantage all possible instruments China employs gray zone coercion across multiple domains – economic, cyberspace, and maritime – that causes a serious challenge for policymakers of various countries affected, and also for their military and law enforcement forces in different levels.

The AFP, particularly the Western Command of Palawan, has been recently put in the spotlight due to reports of the growing number of Chinese fishing vessels near Pag-Asa Island. These fishermen are believed to be deployed by China as paramilitary forces or armed fisheries militia. In January 2019, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, responding to questions arising from the report of US-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on the presence of large fleets of Chinese fishing vessels in the South China Sea, states that in good faith, these are perceived as ordinary fishermen. Read more...