Countering Chinese Grey Zone Warfare In Maritime Domain

 Global maritime operations conducted by Beijing serve a dual purpose as intelligence-gathering outposts. Over the past three decades, the Chinese government has been actively seeking access and influence in open seas, strategic shipping lanes, and foreign ports worldwide.

China's ownership, co-ownership, or operation of around 96 foreign ports globally reflects its expanding portfolio, including recent acquisitions in Hamburg, Germany, and the Solomon Islands.

Given Beijing's increasingly adversarial stance towards the West in economic and geopolitical matters, it is imperative to thoroughly comprehend and mitigate the risks associated with Chinese maritime infrastructure ownership.

What specific measures should the Western world and India take to mitigate challenges posed by Chinese takeover of maritime assets all over the world?

What should be done so that free flow of global merchant traffic takes place both during peace time and war time?

Following specific measures that should to be taken:-

 

Carry out Security Assessments: Conduct thorough security assessments of Chinese-owned or operated ports and maritime infrastructure to identify potential vulnerabilities and risks. This should involve close cooperation between Western intelligence agencies, maritime agencies, and govt authorities.

Western nations and India should establish stringent review mechanisms to scrutinize foreign investments in strategic maritime assets, especially those with potential national security implications. Transparency in ownership and operations is vital. 

Force Chinese to increase Transparency and Accountability: Encourage transparency in Chinese maritime investments and operations. Require Chinese companies to adhere to international standards of transparency and accountability, making it easier to monitor their activities and ensure compliance with security and environmental regulations. 

Diversification of Port Operators: Promote diversification of port operators by encouraging investments from a variety of countries. This reduces dependence on China and will help maintaining the autonomy of ports.

China customs data showed on Wednesday exports of germanium and gallium slumped to zero in August.

Imposed on grounds of national security, new export restrictions require exporters to seek a license to ship some gallium and germanium compounds starting Aug. 1.

China did not export any germanium and gallium products in August, after export curbs kicked into effect at the start of that month for these two chipmaking metals. 

Customs data showed that China exported zero germanium product last month, down from 8.63 metric tons in July 

July germanium exports were more than double that of June’s, as purchases spiked ahead of the effective date for the curbs that are part of China’s escalating war with the U.S. and its allies over access to strategic technology.

 

There were also no exports of gallium products in August, compared to the 5.15 tons exported in July, customs data showed.

 Germanium and gallium are not found naturally, and are by-products of the refineries of other metals.

 Chip making nations such as the U.S. are teaming up against China

Germanium is used in solar products and fiber optics, and can be employed in military applications such as night-vision goggles. Gallium is used for manufacturing the gallium arsenide chemical compound, which is used to make radio frequency chips for mobile phones and satellite communication, and semiconductors. 

Citing national security concerns, China’s commerce ministry imposed new restrictions requiring exporters to seek a license to ship some gallium and germanium compounds starting Aug. 1. 

In October, the U.S. had launched sweeping rules aimed at cutting off exports of key chips and semiconductor tools to China. The measures are believed to have the potential to cripple China’s ambitions to boost its domestic technology industries. 

The U.S. has also lobbied key chip making nations and allies, like the Netherlands and Japan, to introduce export restrictions of their own.

No Way Taiwan Will Accept Reunification with China: Gen. Naravane
Last month, former Army Chief Gen. MM Naravane was among three retired Indian service chiefs who visited Taiwan to attend a security dialogue, a visit that made headlines here. Playing down the hype over the trip, Gen. Naravane says it was not the first time a retired service chief visited Taiwan. He also gave a sense of the general mood in Taiwan, saying, after the Hong Kong experience, the Taiwanese feel that ‘one country two systems’ isn’t workable and that the country will in no way accept reunification with China.