An analysis of the People's Republic of China's hybrid threats within the framework of gray zone strategies: The cases of Taiwan and the South China Sea

This study examines how the People's Republic of China has transformed the gray area between war and peace into a strategic opportunity amid the renewed intensification of great power rivalry in the international system. The primary objective is to reveal the function of hybrid threats within gray zones and to analyze why China resorts to such methods in the contexts of Taiwan and the South China Sea. Adopting a qualitative, literature-based research approach, the study constructs its conceptual framework around the notions of hybrid threats and the gray zone, while analyzing the Taiwan and South China Sea cases comparatively and in light of field observations. The findings indicate that China employs hybrid threats driven by three fundamental motivations: cost and risk optimization, legitimacy building, and time management coupled with capacity development. These strategies allow Beijing to erode its rivals without crossing the threshold of war, to exploit legal ambiguities in pursuit of legitimacy, and to exercise strategic patience during its military modernization process. The Taiwan case demonstrates China's use of hybrid instruments in a matter it defines as an internal issue, carefully balancing international law and diplomatic considerations. Conversely, the South China Sea case illustrates how these instruments are utilized to establish de facto control without engaging in direct confrontation with regional or global actors. Ultimately, hybrid threats for China emerge not merely as tactical tools, but as strategic instruments employed in gray zones to safeguard national interests and expand maneuvering space within the ongoing great power competition.