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The Diplomat
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Diplomat
Japan's Defense White Paper Sounds Alarm Over China's ‘Gray Zone' Activities
For the first time, the annual white paper expressed Japan's concern over the expanding military role of the China Coast Guard. This handout photo, provided by the Japan Coast Guard, shows a China Coast Guard vessel and a helicopter within the territorial waters of the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands on May 3 2025. In its latest defense white paper, Tokyo for the first time sounded the alarm over China's 'gray zone' activities – particularly the expanding role of the China Coast Guard, which is strengthening its cooperation with the Chinese military. 'The Chinese military and the China Coast Guard have been conducting joint navigation and joint training. This strengthening of cooperation between the military and the People's Armed Police, including the China Coast Guard, is thought to be intended to improve operational capabilities in gray zone situations,' the annual defense white paper, titled 'Defense of Japan 2025,' pointed out. The 'gray zone' refers to a wide range of ambiguous situations that blur the boundaries of peacetime and wartime. 'In a gray-zone situation, for example, a country that confronts another over territory, sovereignty or maritime and other economic interests uses some forceful organization to demonstrate its presence in the relevant disputed region in a bid to alter the status quo or force other countries to accept its assertions or demands,' the Japanese defense paper, published on July 15, explained. Gray zone situations also include hybrid warfare, such as cyber attacks and cognitive warfare, which intentionally blur the line between military and non-military activities. 'The so-called gray-zone situations harbor the risk of rapidly developing into graver situations without showing clear indications,' the white paper said. The report noted that the People's Armed Police Force (PAP), a paramilitary force generally tasked with both internal security and support for the People's Liberation Army (PLA), has the China Coast Guard under its umbrella. The CCG is said to be the world's largest maritime law enforcement agency. 'In recent years, the China Coast Guard's vessels have become larger and more armed. At the end of December 2024, the China Coast Guard possessed 161 ships with full load displacement of 1,000 tons or more, including two 10,000-ton-class patrol ships, among the world's largest ones,' the paper stated. The annual report noted the increasing number of military exercises by the Chinese military around Taiwan as part of its concern over gray zone activities: There is growing concern over China's pursuit of unification through gray-zone military activities. Some point out that military intimidation, blockades, and other such means are currently China's main options to be used against Taiwan. In the event of a blockade of Taiwan, there is a possibility that China will deploy its coast guard at the forefront to carry out the blockade within the gray zone. The defense white paper pointed out, 'In the Chinese military's exercises around Taiwan, it is believed that some military operations aimed at the unification of Taiwan, including an invasion operation against Taiwan, may be being rehearsed.' It's the first time Japan's public defense report has raised such a concern. It described a case in which China started military exercises on May 23, 2024, just three days after Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te gave his inauguration speech. At that time, China publicly announced for the first time that the China Coast Guard had been active in the waters east of Taiwan. Furthermore, the paper noted that 'during the exercise in October 2024, Chinese Coast Guard vessels sailed around Taiwan, and the activities of the Coast Guard have been expanding, suggesting that China may be placing greater importance on the role of the Coast Guard in creating so-called gray zone situations.' Regarding Chinese military movements in the sea and airspace around Japan, like last year's edition, this year's defense white paper pointed out: The Chinese Navy and Air Force have in recent years expanded and intensified their activities in the surrounding sea areas and airspace of Japan, including the area surrounding the Senkaku Islands. These activities include those allegedly based on China's unilateral claim on the Senkaku Islands, and cases involving the one-sided escalation of activities, creating a situation of great concern to Japan. The Senkaku Islands, which are administered by Japan, are also claimed by China as the Diaoyu Islands. The paper cited the first-ever intrusion into Japan's airspace by a Chinese military aircraft off the coast of Nagasaki Prefecture in August 2024, and the first voyage of the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning between Yonaguni Island and Iriomote Island in Okinawa Prefecture in September of the same year. 'China's active military activities have reached a situation that could have a serious impact on the security of our country, and this is of strong concern,' the white paper said, the first time it has used such language. On North Korea, the defense report said Pyongyang is clearly continuing to pursue the development and improvement of its offensive capabilities, including hypersonic weapons, in an attempt to penetrate missile defense networks. Based on conical and flat warheads that have been confirmed, the white paper continued, there is a possibility that North Korea is planning to develop hypersonic weapons with different ranges and flight patterns by developing different warheads in parallel, in order to complicate the enemy's response. The report urged Tokyo to keep a close eye on North Korea's technological advances. The white paper also noted that Pyongyang appears to continue developing nuclear weapons using highly enriched uranium in addition to plutonium. The white paper addressed the recent close relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang. It noted that North Korea has been providing weapons and ammunition, including ballistic missiles, to Russia since 2023, and that in October 2024, North Korean soldiers were confirmed to have been deployed to Russia, and that these soldiers have now participated in combat against Ukraine. The 2024 version of Japan's defense white paper did not mention North Korean soldiers participating in the war in Ukraine. The Chinese government quickly responded to Japan's latest defense white paper. At a press conference on July 15, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, expressed 'strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition' to the paper, claiming that it had incited the threat of China based on 'erroneous perceptions.' He said that the Chinese government had lodged a protest with the Japanese side.
Arabian Post
08-07-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
India Needs To Raise Defence Spending Substantially
By Nantoo Banerjee It is difficult to believe that India, the world's fourth largest economy by gross domestic product (GDP) and a major military power, ranks below even the tiny states of Kuwait and Greece when it comes to defence spending as a percentage of GDP. Considering the tricky geo-political situation in the south Asian region with China, India's No. 1 enemy increasingly surrounding the country with its growing economic and military control over Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Pakistan and Nepal, India does not seem to be spending enough on its defence in the face of a growing China threat. In terms of gross value, India's annual defence budget may not look that unimpressive, but it accounts for less than one-third of China's defence expenditure of nearly $267 billion. The US continues to be the biggest defence spender with a budget of $895 billion. Russia's defence budget is worth around $126 billion. India's defence budget is estimated at only around $75 billion. Effectively, India's defence spending works out 1.9 percent of its GDP. Although China's defence spending is officially estimated at only 1.5 percent of its economy, it excludes several important expenditures such as weapon imports, funding for the People's Armed Police, and research and development, according to the As a result, China's effective defence expenditure may be largely hidden. Or, it could be significantly higher than the publicly shared estimate. Communist China, the third major global military power after the US and Russia, has been rapidly modernizing its technological capability in the defence sector as it is expanding its presence across the world, only next to the US. It is difficult to assess China's actual military expenditure as it is also supposed to provide protection to the country's Belts & Roads Initiative (BRI) investments that cover some 150 countries across the world. The Chinese BRI spans across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Pacific region. Going by the recent reports, China has a potential base in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Tanzania, Mauritius, Maldives and Myanmar. China is engaged in developing commercial seaports or free trade zones in the Indian Ocean's points of these countries. China is also supporting these countries with finalized contracts for conventional arms sales. The US is concerned. And, so is India. This explains the formation of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, operating as a strategic forum to promote regional security and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, with a focus on shared values and a free and open international order based on the rule of law. The Quad member countries are: the US, Japan, Australia, and India. Interestingly, after the latest meeting of the defence ministers of the 10-member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which includes China, India, Pakistan and Iran, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh refused to sign a draft statement that did not mention the Pahalgam terror attack. As a result, no joint declaration was made. Pakistan's defence spending is around 2.2 percent of its GDP. For the current fiscal year 2025-26, the country's defence budget was initially proposed to be 1.97 percent of GDP. However, following the recent four-day India-Pakistan war, indications are that Pakistan's defence spending, including hidden costs, military pensions and total military-related expenditure, may well exceed four percent of its GDP this year. In recent years, Pakistan's defence spending has generally remained at around 2.5 percent of GDP. Largely import-dependent on China for critical war equipment stocks, Pakistan appears to be ready to fight proxy war for China in both the South and West Asian regions. China's BRI investment in Pakistan, primarily through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is estimated to cost $62 billion. The CPEC is a key component of the BRI, aiming to enhance connectivity and trade between the two countries. The 27-member European Union, which appears to be fighting a proxy war in support of Ukraine against Russia, is looking to raise the defence expenditure to as high as five percent of its GDP due to a combination of factors, including Russia's aggression in Ukraine, a reassessment of security risks, the need to modernize its defence capabilities, and to better align with NATO's defence plans. According to reports, Ukraine's prolonged war against Russia is behind the EU's decision in support of a stronger and more unified European defence, particularly in the face of US President Donald Trump's lack of interest in continuously fund-feeding the European partners of NATO. The EU defence expenditure target of five percent of GDP includes investments in broader security areas, such as infrastructure upgrades (roads, railways, bridges), cyber defence, and military mobility to facilitate quick reinforcement. Among the world's top military spenders as percentage of GDP are: Ukraine (34.5 percent), Lebanon (10.5 percent), Israel (8.8 percent), Russia and Saudi Arabia (7.1 percent each), Kuwait (4.8 percent), Poland (4.2 percent) and the US (3.4 percent). India's proposed defence spending as a percentage of GDP in the 2025-26 budget, estimated to be 1.9 percent, represents a substantial decrease from its historical levels of around three percent, excluding large defence pensions, in the early 2000s. While the overall budget allocation for defence has increased in recent years, the percentage of GDP allocated for the purpose has remained at a relatively lower level below two percent. This is despite the changing security environment in the region in the last two decades. Recently, even Bangladesh had the guts to threaten India with possible military action to cut off the 'chicken's neck' in the Dooars region to sever India's land link with its eight north eastern states, namely Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura. India should not take the first ever Bangladeshi threat of this nature lightly since the country's import-dependent military is substantially controlled by China. This more than explains why India needs to increase its effective defence spending as a percentage of GDP in the coming years to remain fighting fit to protect the country's territorial integrity and economic progress in the face of a Chinese proxy war using both Pakistan and Bangladesh against India. (IPA Service)
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Inside the secret spy den building China's attack drones
Credit: CCTV At first glance it could be a school classroom, with bright fluorescent lights, posters on the wall and long tables down the middle. But look closer, and the students are actually Chinese paramilitary police officers, the notices are instructions on how to build attack drones, and there are CCTV cameras watching their every move. This is the workshop for one of China's feared armed police units, in the eastern Shandong province. In a rare glimpse into China's arms manufacturing, a dozen or so officers can be seen seated at the long tables tinkering with their creations. Another 40 or so unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are mounted on the wall in front of them as they work. Credit: CCTV Speaking to Chinese state media, which produced the footage, one uniformed officer explains that each of the drones are assembled by a member of the People's Armed Police (PAP) force in Shandong. For a skilled worker it should take 'no more than two hours' to complete one device. Known as 'China's other army,' the PAP is one of the country's police forces responsible for national security. Unlike the civilian police force, which handles routine law enforcement, the PAP falls under the Central Military Commission and is often deployed for border security, riot control and counterterrorism, and has been part of the violent campaign against the Uighurs in Xinjiang province and in Tibet. While the exact number of officers is unknown, reports estimate it could be anywhere from 500,000 to 1.5 million, spread out over 32 regional commands, each with at least one mobile unit. The direction of travel is clear. In 2010 the PAP budget was £6.8 billion. By last year, it had more than tripled, to £15.9 billion. The unit in Shandong is the latest example of what it has been spending that money on. The drones are not just for surveillance. In a combat drill last month, two members of a PAP unit in western Yunnan province worked together to take out a target behind a closed window. The first drone smashed the glass and the second flew through the gap to strike the target. Other camera drones can be armed with grenades, which are dropped on perceived threats. And then there are disruptor drones, fitted with systems that can locate, track and 'soft-kill' enemy UAVs, according to state television. Training is intense. Before being allowed to fly actual drones, the operators have to work on simulators for about two months, according to state television. Then they are let lose on complicated aerial assault courses, with tight turns and high speed manoeuvres, before being allowed to use them in the field. Credit: CCTV Experts have said that drones would be central to any conflict between China and Taiwan, should Beijing decide to attack the island, which it claims as its own despite staunch opposition from the government in Taipei. Both China and Taiwan's interest in drone warfare has expanded since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 given the central role that UAVs have played in the conflict. Earlier this month, China announced that its new drone mothership, known as the Jiu Tan, which is capable of releasing swarms of 100 kamikaze UAVs at once, would launch on its maiden voyage in June. In Shandong, the officer in the video explains that the team is producing first-person view (FPV) drones of different sizes, from 3-inch to 9-inch models, at what he calls the 'UAV innovation studio'. In the footage, the personnel are seen assembling drone frames as well as testing camera and antenna placements. The UAVs are designed for both reconnaissance and precision strikes. The studio also has a 3D printer, which is used to design and manufacture various components. The officer explains that it is currently making landing pads, which it can print in three minutes. He then shows the camera a drone with a 3D-printed ammunition mounting platform, which he says can carry different types of weapons, 'significantly enhancing the drone's strike capabilities.' There is variation in the vehicles too. Footage shows the unit using drones with long fibre optic cables, as seen in Ukraine and Russia. These drones do not rely on radio signals and therefore cannot be jammed by enemy signal blockers. While drones can be used for humanitarian purposes – such as during disaster relief operations – in the hands of the PAP they can also be weapons of oppression. The force's focus in recent years has been on Xinjiang province, where it has been responsible for the persecution of Uyghur Muslims, as well as Tibet. Xinjiang hosts the largest concentration of PAP mobile units in the country with an estimated 200,000 troops. They have been using surveillance drones for a number of years. Both Uyghurs and Tibetans have been targeted by the central government in Beijing for decades, with abuses ranging from mass detentions to forced sterilisations. The Uyghur Human Rights Project accused the PAP of being 'among the prime actors in carrying out the genocide' against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang. With their new tools, the PAP shows no sign of changing course. Beyond its domestic role, experts have also said that the PAP would likely play a key role in any future attack against Taiwan. In January, Chinese state media reported that some PAP officers in Fujian province had taken part in official combat training, which suggested that in the event of war, the forces could join the fight as a military unit. Lyle Goldstein, an Asia expert at Defense Priorities, a Washington-based foreign policy think tank, said that since China views Taiwan as one of its provinces, Beijing would see it as 'completely legal' to use armed police. The PAP could also play a central role if martial law were declared following an invasion of Taiwan. The International Institute for Strategic Studies said: 'As the PAP's mission sets have become more focused, their more centralised command structure, reorganisation and enhanced use of modern technologies have turned the PAP into a more potent force ready to carry out the CCP's vision of 'correct policy' and maintaining the Party's control.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Inside the secret spy den building China's attack drones
At first glance it could be a school classroom, with bright fluorescent lights, posters on the wall and long tables down the middle. But look closer, and the students are actually Chinese paramilitary police officers, the notices are instructions on how to build attack drones, and there are CCTV cameras watching their every move. This is the workshop for one of China's feared armed police units, in the eastern Shandong province. In a rare glimpse into China's arms manufacturing, a dozen or so officers can be seen seated at the long tables tinkering with their creations. Another 40 or so unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are mounted on the wall in front of them as they work. Speaking to Chinese state media, which produced the footage, one uniformed officer explains that each of the drones are assembled by a member of the People's Armed Police (PAP) force in Shandong. For a skilled worker it should take 'no more than two hours' to complete one device. Known as 'China's other army,' the PAP is one of the country's police forces responsible for national security. 'Unlike the civilian police force, which handles routine law enforcement, the PAP falls under the Central Military Commission and is often deployed for border security, riot control and counterterrorism, and has been part of the violent campaign against the Uighurs in Xinjiang province and in Tibet. While the exact number of officers is unknown, reports estimate it could be anywhere from 500,000 to 1.5 million, spread out over 32 regional commands, each with at least one mobile unit. The direction of travel is clear. In 2010 the PAP budget was £6.8 billion. By last year, it had more than tripled, to £15.9 billion. The unit in Shandong is the latest example of what it has been spending that money on. The drones are not just for surveillance. In a combat drill last month, two members of a PAP unit in western Yunnan province worked together to take out a target behind a closed window. The first drone smashed the glass and the second flew through the gap to strike the target. Other camera drones can be armed with grenades, which are dropped on perceived threats. And then there are disruptor drones, fitted with systems that can locate, track and 'soft-kill' enemy UAVs, according to state television. Training is intense. Before being allowed to fly actual drones, the operators have to work on simulators for about two months, according to state television. Then they are let lose on complicated aerial assault courses, with tight turns and high speed manoeuvres, before being allowed to use them in the field. Experts have said that drones would be central to any conflict between China and Taiwan, should Beijing decide to attack the island, which it claims as its own despite staunch opposition from the government in Taipei. Both China and Taiwan's interest in drone warfare has expanded since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 given the central role that UAVs have played in the conflict. Earlier this month, China announced that its new drone mothership, known as the Jiu Tan, which is capable of releasing swarms of 100 kamikaze UAVs at once, would launch on its maiden voyage in June. In Shandong, the officer in the video explains that the team is producing first-person view (FPV) drones of different sizes, from 3-inch to 9-inch models, at what he calls the 'UAV innovation studio'. In the footage, the personnel are seen assembling drone frames as well as testing camera and antenna placements. The UAVs are designed for both reconnaissance and precision strikes. The studio also has a 3D printer, which is used to design and manufacture various components. The officer explains that it is currently making landing pads, which it can print in three minutes. He then shows the camera a drone with a 3D-printed ammunition mounting platform, which he says can carry different types of weapons, 'significantly enhancing the drone's strike capabilities.' There is variation in the vehicles too. Footage shows the unit using drones with long fibre optic cables, as seen in Ukraine and Russia. These drones do not rely on radio signals and therefore cannot be jammed by enemy signal blockers. While drones can be used for humanitarian purposes – such as during disaster relief operations – in the hands of the PAP they can also be weapons of oppression. The force's focus in recent years has been on Xinjiang province, where it has been responsible for the persecution of Uyghur Muslims, as well as Tibet. Xinjiang hosts the largest concentration of PAP mobile units in the country with an estimated 200,000 troops. They have been using surveillance drones for a number of years. Both Uyghurs and Tibetans have been targeted by the central government in Beijing for decades, with abuses ranging from mass detentions to forced sterilisations. The Uyghur Human Rights Project accused the PAP of being 'among the prime actors in carrying out the genocide' against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang. With their new tools, the PAP shows no sign of changing course. Beyond its domestic role, experts have also said that the PAP would likely play a key role in any future attack against Taiwan. In January, Chinese state media reported that some PAP officers in Fujian province had taken part in official combat training, which suggested that in the event of war, the forces could join the fight as a military unit. Lyle Goldstein, an Asia expert at Defense Priorities, a Washington-based foreign policy think tank, said that since China views Taiwan as one of its provinces, Beijing would see it as 'completely legal' to use armed police. The PAP could also play a central role if martial law were declared following an invasion of Taiwan. The International Institute for Strategic Studies said: 'As the PAP's mission sets have become more focused, their more centralised command structure, reorganisation and enhanced use of modern technologies have turned the PAP into a more potent force ready to carry out the CCP's vision of 'correct policy' and maintaining the Party's control.'
