TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Chinese military aircraft flew into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Sunday afternoon (July 4), marking the third such intrusion this month.

A People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane entered the southwest corner of Taiwan’s ADIZ, according to the Ministry of National Defense. In response, Taiwan sent aircraft, broadcast radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems to monitor the plane.

Slow-flying Chinese turboprops have so far been spotted in the zone this month on July 2, 3, and 4.

Last September, Beijing stepped up its gray zone tactics by frequently sending planes into Taiwan’s ADIZ, with most instances taking place in the southwest corner of the zone.

Gray zone tactics are defined “as an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one’s security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force.” An ADIZ is an area that extends beyond a country’s air space where air traffic controllers ask incoming aircraft to identify themselves.

According to MND data, Chinese aircraft were tracked in Taiwan’s identification zone 10 times in June, 18 times in May, 22 times in April, 18 times in March, 17 times in February, and 27 times in January. Last year, they were observed 19 times in December, 22 times in November, and 22 times in October.



Flight path of Chinese plane on July 4 (MND image)