MATSU, Taiwan -- In the darkness, Chinese ships edge closer to Taiwan's Matsu Islands, at times entering Taiwan-controlled waters. They are not military vessels, but huge sand dredgers that spend hours pumping up tons of sand from the ocean floor. There are so many lit boats they resemble traffic on a highway, and their loud mechanical rumblings echo across the otherwise quiet islands.
The Taiwanese island chain of Matsu is closer to the Chinese mainland than to Taipei. Now, some say they are on the frontlines of China's newest tactic: "gray zone" or hybrid warfare, aimed at wearing down or provoking the enemy without firing a single shot. © Reuters
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