Former Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale has argued in an analysis that China follows a 'grey-zone' approach in its military and diplomatic strategy, waiting for strategic opportunities without triggering outright conflict, and then applying military pressure when circumstances are favourable to it. According to Gokhale, given this strategy, India should assume that relations with China are unlikely to normalise fully in the near future, and instead a form of 'armed co-existence' will persist, for which India needs to shape its strategic and military preparedness accordingly. The source material does not provide detailed evidence, specific examples, or a timeline underpinning this argument, suggesting it is presented primarily as a strategic viewpoint rather than a settled assessment.