Grey-Zone Warfare:
China is using ‘grey-zone’ tactics against Taiwan involving sophisticated methods to frustrate the island’s leadership.
- This includes simulated audiovisuals depicting invasion scenarios and sustained pressure through military sorties and cognitive warfare tactics.
- Grey-zone warfare refers to a strategic approach where aggressors employ a combination of conventional and non-conventional methods to harm adversaries without triggering a full-scale military response.
- It operates in the ambiguous space between peace and overt conflict, utilizing tactics like cyberattacks, economic coercion, disinformation campaigns, and proxy forces to achieve strategic objectives.
Characteristics of Grey-zone Warfare:
- Below threshold operations: Aggressors employ non-military tools that don’t warrant a military response.
- Gradual bold steps: Actions unfold over time, often spanning years or decades, minimizing chances for decisive countermeasures.
- Lack of attributability: Aggressors evade accountability, making it challenging to attribute actions and formulate responses.
- Target specificity: Typically targets vulnerable nations with limited capacity for retaliation due to domestic or strategic constraints.
