It is with pleasure to share with you the Stratbase ADR Institute’s Defense and Security Paper for the Fourth Quarter of 2023. Entitled, “Game Changer: The Philippines’ Assertive Transparency Campaign Against China (How the Philippines Rewrote the Counter Gray Zone Playbook)”, this paper was authored by Col. Raymond M. Powell, US Air Force (Ret) and Dr. Benjamin Goirigolzarri.

The paper is an elaborate description of how assertive transparency constitutes a formidable state policy and strategy against China’s comprehensive gray zone maneuvers in the West Philippine Sea. 

At the core, assertive transparency demonstrated by a highly focused and proactive information operations campaign not only shows how the gray zone aggressor can be lodged in a state of embarrassment in the international scene but also aims to deter or defeat the aggressor. To increase its success, the counter-gray zone approach should include strengthening national resilience, building international support, and imposing reputational costs on the gray zone actor.