Philippine strategic think tank “Stratbase” and German think tank Konrad Adenauer Foundation held a symposium on the 8th with the theme of “Countermeasures against Gray Zone Tactics in the Indo-Pacific Region.”
Gray zone tactics are “an attempt to change the status quo by frequently demonstrating a presence in conflicting territorial and maritime rights and interests between nations, to the extent that they are not subject to armed attacks.” Practitioners and experts discussed countermeasures against China, which is strengthening its effective control over the South China Sea with this tactic.
Dr. Jay Batonbakar of the University of the Philippines, who specializes in maritime law, said last month’s laser irradiation incident and the gathering of Chinese naval ships, coast guard ships, and 42 maritime militia ships on the island of Paguaça, which is effectively controlled by the Philippines. “China’s activities in the South China Sea have become more hostile and aggressive,” he said, referring to what was reported a few days ago.
Regarding such moves by China, he said, “Don’t hesitate to respond in a way that is reasonable and proportional to the actions of the other party. It can lead to giving up,” he warned.
“We need to build multilateral collective deterrence, plan for contingencies, coordinate policies, actions and responses, and create a kind of united front,” he said.
Dindo Manhito, representative of Stratbase, also took the stage. “Indo-Pacific nations must strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation, not coercion, in order to change China’s behavior based on international rules,” he said. He recommended conducting a joint patrol.
Dr. Renato DeCastro of Stratbase goes even further, stating, “In order to deter China’s gray zone operations, the Philippines, the United States, and Australia must strengthen mutual support through security agreements, troop deployments, defense equipment transfers, and multilateral military exercises. It is necessary to show a strong will and dispel the concerns of the Philippines,” he said, adding, “It is also necessary to develop a regional surveillance network to detect and monitor Chinese ships.”
Looking back on the Duterte administration, he said, “Despite China’s friendly policy, the country’s maritime expansion did not stop. That is why the previous administration understood the importance of the Philippine-U.S. alliance.”
▽ Use of PCG to deter military expansion
“The PCG’s patient patrol of disputed waters and documenting China’s activities brought China’s actions in violation of international law to light,” said Jay Talliera, Advisor to the Chief of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). A good example is the case of the China Coast Guard irradiating a PCG patrol vessel with a military laser,” he said, stating that the patrol was intended to visualize China’s behavior and accuse it to the international community. Point out the importance of activities.
Bearing in mind that China has lost effective control over Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea and Scarborough Reef off the west coast of Luzon Island, both of which are part of the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Advisor to the Secretary said, ) is unacceptable,” he stressed. As a countermeasure, he appealed for the expansion of surveillance capabilities through the expansion of large offshore patrol ships, aircraft, and PCG bases that can operate in the open sea.
On the other hand, he warned that China should not let the Philippines be called a war-mongering country. “The PCG ships are white (representing non-military) ships. They are not in an arms race for the navy,” he said. (Tomoaki Takeshita)
