China steps up coercive sea tactics

China steps up coercive sea tactics

CHINA continues to rely on non-lethal but coercive "grey zone" tactics in the South China Sea to assert control over disputed waters while avoiding open conflict, a leading expert on Southeast Asian affairs and maritime security said. According to Gregory Poling, director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), between 2013 and 2021, Beijing's use of maritime harassment, blockades and aggressiv…