For two decades, China’s ascent on the world stage has been marked by significant military investment and an increasingly assertive presence in the region. While decades have passed without outright war, recent years have witnessed a troubling shift – a pattern of intimidation, threats, and even armed confrontations employed to advance China’s strategic goals, tactics some have described as “gangster tactics.” China often frames these actions as defensive responses, yet the reality reveals a calculated effort to leverage military and paramilitary forces to solidify its position in long-standing disputes and exert pressure on nations like the United States and Taiwan.
