TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The risk of a Chinese attack in 2027 has diminished but Beijing is likely to step up its gray zone activities, two retired Indian major generals said during a visit to Taiwan Wednesday (March 13).

Gray zone tactics are defined as efforts “beyond steady-state deterrence and attempts to achieve security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force.” The frequent flights by Chinese military aircraft into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) have been described as a form of gray zone activity.

The Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR) on Wednesday welcomed B.K. Sharma, the director of the United Service Institution of India, and R.S. Yadav, the director of its Center for Strategic Studies and Simulation, per CNA. Both were retired major generals in the Indian Army.

The experts said that following Taiwan’s Jan. 13 elections, the likelihood of a cross-strait war in 2027 had diminished. Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) had earlier said that he expected the country’s military to achieve the capability of successfully attacking Taiwan in 2027.

In contrast, China’s use of gray zone tactics is likely to increase over the next few years, the think-tank executives said. As to cooperation between Taiwan and India, they saw significant room for cooperation in the field of semiconductors.