中共的灰色地帶研究相當多元，但是較少有針對中共在東海地區運用灰色地帶行動與日本回應的案例，是本文研究動機之一。本文整理近期有關中共灰色地帶的研究文獻，分析中共在東海區域灰色地帶行動的目的、中共在東海區域捍衛其利益的主要原因，特別是包括領土爭議、資源爭奪和地緣政治等多個問題，與中共灰色地帶行動有高度關係。本文探討中共的地緣政治戰略的重要性，在東海灰色地帶運用手段和策略，並且針對日本對於中共在東海區域灰色地帶行為的回應做一整理。

The study of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) gray zone activities is quite diverse, but there are fewer case studies focusing on the CCP's use of gray zone actions in the East China Sea region and Japan's responses. This is one of the motivations for this research. This paper reviews relevant literature on the CCP's gray zone activities and organizes the purposes of the CCP's gray zone actions in the East China Sea region, as well as the reasons why the CCP is vigorously defending its interests in the area. Key interests in the Asia-Pacific region, including territorial disputes, resource competition, and geopolitical issues, are of utmost importance in this context. The paper explores the significance of the CCP's geopolitical strategy, its methods and tactics in the East China Sea gray zone, and compiles Japan's responses to the CCP's gray zone activities in the East China Sea region.