Showing posts with label #GreyZone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #GreyZone. Show all posts

Taiwan Strait Tensions - China's Latest Move Explained

China insists it is a force for peace, stability and development—but do its actions match its rhetoric?

In this episode of Perspectives with Neilo, we examine China's latest grey zone operations around Taiwan, where Chinese Coast Guard vessels began issuing commands to foreign commercial ships operating in waters east of the island. Security analysts warn these seemingly routine maritime patrols may represent something far more significant: a gradual attempt to reshape the status quo in the Taiwan Strait without firing a shot.


We explore why recent maritime boundary negotiations between Japan and the Philippines triggered such a strong response from Beijing, what China's expanding claims over Taiwan's surrounding waters mean under international law and UNCLOS, and why experts believe these developments could have profound implications for regional security and freedom of navigation throughout the Indo-Pacific.

This episode also examines China's rapidly expanding military capabilities, growing security cooperation between countries including Australia, Japan and the Philippines, and how organisations such as AUKUS and the Quad are responding to an increasingly assertive Beijing.


Is China acting as a responsible global power seeking regional stability—or is it using incremental coercion to advance its strategic ambitions?

We separate the headlines from the geopolitics to examine what these developments could mean for Taiwan, the wider Indo-Pacific and the future of international maritime law.


In this episode:
• China's latest Coast Guard operations around Taiwan
• Grey zone warfare explained
• The Taiwan Strait and international maritime law (UNCLOS)
• Japan–Philippines maritime negotiations
• China's military build-up and regional security
• Freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific
• AUKUS, the Quad and the changing balance of power


If you enjoy independent analysis of geopolitics, international relations, foreign influence and global security, be sure to follow Perspectives with Neilo wherever you listen to podcasts and subscribe to our blog here for additional resources and further reading.


Date of Recording: July 1st, 2026



China Coast Guard Ship patrols the waters around Taiwan. Insert (L) Prime Minister of Japan Takaichi held a summit meeting with H.E. Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Jr., President of the Republic of the Philippines on May 8th, 2026. Insert (R) China Coast Guard Crewman radios ships in 'PRC Costal Waters'
China Coast Guard Ship patrols the waters around Taiwan.
Insert (L) Prime Minister of Japan Takaichi held a summit meeting with H.E. Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Jr., President of the Republic of the Philippines on May 28th, 2026.
Insert (R) China Coast Guard Crewman radios ships in 'PRC Costal Waters'




DIVE DEEPER


Additional information on the topics covered in this episode:

  • Statement by British Office Taipei, Bureau Francais De Taipei and Deutsches Institut Taipei via Finbarr Bermingham on X (June 25th, 2026)
  • Japan - Philippines Summit Meeting - Prime Minister's Office of Japan (May 28th, 2026) - Part 1 and Part 2
  • United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea - UNCLOS pdf
  • IN FULL: The Hon.Richard Marles MP Addresses the National Press Club of Australia - YouTube (April 17th, 2026)


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Audio Credits:

Dark Suspense Thriller by Alex Morgan via Pixabay

Sound Soul (This Logo Reveal) by Diamond_Tunes via Pixabay 


Excerpt from The Hon. Richard Marles MP, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia’s speech at the National Press Club of Australia on "Launch of the 2026 National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Program" via National Press Club of Australia You Tube Channel (see link above)


Cable Sabotage in the Baltic

 Two subsea cables, one linking Finland and Germany and the other connecting Sweden and Lithuania were damaged in less then 24 hours on November 17th and 18th, prompting German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to say he assumed it was sabotage!

The suspected culprit is a Chinese registered bulk carrier - the Yi Peng 3 - which was traveling through the area after departing the Russian port of Ust Liga, West of St. Petersburg on November 15th. 

Reuters news agency have quoted Western intelligence officials from multiple countries as saying that they are confident the Chinese ship caused the cuts to both cables, but they have expressed different views on whether these were accidents or could have been deliberate.

This is not the first time a Chinese vessel has been suspected of damaging subsea infrastructure in this region and it raises concerns of a wider pattern of hybrid warfare. 

My guest in this episode is Eoin McNamara (@McNamara_Eoin) who is a Research Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs in Helsinki. I spoke to him about recent events, the reactions in the region and the implications for countries like Ireland and the broader EU.



Date of Recording: December 3rd, 2024.


Main picture shows the Chinese ship accused of cutting cables in the Baltic Sea. Insets show (1) alleged patents for anchor like cable cutting devices and (2)map of the 2 cables that were cut in the Baltic. Listen to the podcast at www.pwneilo.com
Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3, suspected of involvement in cable severing in the Baltic,
Insert top: Alleged Chinese patents for anchor like cable cutting devices.
Insert bottom: Map showing the two cut cables in the Baltic Sea.


DIVE DEEPER:

Additional information on the topics covered in this episode:


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Image Credits:
Podcast thumbnail: stablediffusionweb.com
Main image (above): Mikkel Berg Pedersen/Ritzau Scanpix via AP

#China, #YiPeng3, #Baltic, #BalticSea, #Cablesabotage, #EU, #Ireland, #Russia, #Greyzone, #Grayzone, #FIIA, #newnewpolarbear
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