China is trying to maintain grey zone operations to avoid military clashes with opponents, think tank says . Report cites the addition of the China Coast Guard and the maritime militia to the military command .
Tokyo (Japan), November 28: According to a survey by the Japan Defence Ministry think tank, Beijing is aiming to maintain grey zone operations to place pressure on opponents by avoiding military clashes with other nations, according to the National Institute for Defence Studies, which published its China Security Report 2023 on Friday.The report also cited the addition of the China Coast Guard and the maritime militia to the military command.The Japan Times reported that Tokyo and Beijing have been at odds over the Senkaku Islands, a group of East China Sea islands that are managed by Japan but claimed by China, and that China is flexing its muscles to maintain control of the islands.China has also sent official vessels into Japanese territorial waters around the islands in an attempt to assert control of Tokyo's territory, according to The Japan Times.
Despite the increasing tensions with China, Japan is holding intense talks on increasing its defense budget and building nuclear-powered submarines over the contested islands in the East China Sea.