China Wins the Gray Zone by Default

China employs a “gray zone” strategy as a rival to the United States, argues Denny Roy, senior fellow at the East-West Center – employing measured, often indirect aggression while not overstepping boundaries that trigger military retaliation. US military expenditures are about triple those of China’s, yet “Beijing demonstrates its skill at finding ways of advancing the Chinese strategic agenda – and undercutting US interests – that are well short of crossing red lines,” Roy writes for PacNet, a Center for Strategic and International Studies newsletter. “The Chinese, whose civilization produced Sun Zi’s Art of War, are huge fans of the idea that clever strategy can deliver victory over a materially stronger opponent.” He points to China’s escalating assertiveness in the South China Sea and cyber-surveillance as gray-zone strategies for needling the United States. The gray-zone strategy encourages a perception that other Asian nations can’t rely on US power and should support a rising China. Reliance on a gray-zone strategy reduces cooperation, distracting major powers from global challenges. – YaleGlobal