
Maritime Gray Zone Operations
Challenges and Countermeasures in the Indo-Pacific
Andrew S. Erickson(Editor)
Routledge (Publisher)
1st Edition
Published on 21. October 2022
Book
Hardback
152 pages
978-1-032-31657-4 (ISBN)
Description
This book addresses the issues raised by Chinese and North Korean maritime 'gray zone' activities in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
For years, China has been harassing its neighbors in South China Sea and East China Sea, employing both coast guard and maritime militia forces, in the name of safeguarding Chinese sovereignty. This behavior is frequently characterized as constituting 'gray zone' activity. As the term suggests, this refers to a state of conflict that falls between peace and war. Interestingly, the Yellow Sea, which is geographically much closer to China than South China Sea or East China Sea, has been comparatively quiet. However, there is a danger that the PRC has the capability to replicate its gray zone activities in this area. Worse, North Korea has also been engaging in carefully-calibrated provocations there. This book addresses pressing questions about these activities and offers: (1) a conceptual framework to understand maritime gray zone operations and Beijing and Pyongyang's approach, with an unprecedented focus on the Yellow Sea; (2) a comprehensive, fully updated fleet force structure for the PRC's Coast Guard, together with projections regarding how the Coast Guard is likely to develop in the future; (3) an extensive organizational analysis of the PRC's Maritime Militia that surveys the many units relevant to Yellow Sea operations, some revealed publicly for the first time; and (4) a detailed assessment of North Korean maritime 'gray zone' activities.
This book will be of great interest to students of naval strategy, maritime security, Asian politics, and international security.
For years, China has been harassing its neighbors in South China Sea and East China Sea, employing both coast guard and maritime militia forces, in the name of safeguarding Chinese sovereignty. This behavior is frequently characterized as constituting 'gray zone' activity. As the term suggests, this refers to a state of conflict that falls between peace and war. Interestingly, the Yellow Sea, which is geographically much closer to China than South China Sea or East China Sea, has been comparatively quiet. However, there is a danger that the PRC has the capability to replicate its gray zone activities in this area. Worse, North Korea has also been engaging in carefully-calibrated provocations there. This book addresses pressing questions about these activities and offers: (1) a conceptual framework to understand maritime gray zone operations and Beijing and Pyongyang's approach, with an unprecedented focus on the Yellow Sea; (2) a comprehensive, fully updated fleet force structure for the PRC's Coast Guard, together with projections regarding how the Coast Guard is likely to develop in the future; (3) an extensive organizational analysis of the PRC's Maritime Militia that surveys the many units relevant to Yellow Sea operations, some revealed publicly for the first time; and (4) a detailed assessment of North Korean maritime 'gray zone' activities.
This book will be of great interest to students of naval strategy, maritime security, Asian politics, and international security.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Postgraduate, Professional, and Undergraduate Advanced
Illustrations
5 s/w Abbildungen, 5 s/w Zeichnungen, 6 s/w Tabellen
6 Tables, black and white; 5 Line drawings, black and white; 5 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
432 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-032-31657-4 (9781032316574)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
05/2024
1st Edition
Routledge
€63.80
Shipment within 10-20 days

E-Book
10/2022
1st Edition
Routledge
€0.00
Available for download

E-Book
10/2022
1st Edition
Routledge
€0.00
Available for download
Person
Andrew S. Erickson is Professor of Strategy at the Naval War College's China Maritime Studies Institute, RI, USA and a Visiting Scholar in the Department of Government at Harvard University.
Content
Introduction: Understanding Chinese and North Korean Gray Zone Operations in the Yellow Sea 1. Conceptualizing China's Maritime Gray Zone Operations 2. Gray Zone Incidents in the Yellow Sea 3. China's Coast Guard: Organization, Forces, and Yellow Sea Applications 4. China's Maritime Militia in the Bohai Gulf and Yellow Sea 5. Casting a Wider Net: The Activities and Evolution of China's Maritime Militia in the Yellow Sea 6. North Korea: Gray Zone Actions in the Yellow Sea