TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Chinese military plane flew into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Thursday morning (July 9), marking the fifth intrusion this month.

A People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Y-8 electronic warfare plane flew into the southwest corner of Taiwan’s ADIZ, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND). Taiwan sent aircraft, issued radio warnings, and tracked the PLAAF plane using air defense missile systems.

Beijing has sent planes into Taiwan’s identification zone on July 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8. All the planes this month have consisted of slower-flying turboprops so far.

Since September last year, Beijing has stepped up gray zone tactics by frequently sending planes into Taiwan’s ADIZ, with most occurrences taking place in the southwest corner of the zone.

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

According to MND data, Chinese aircraft were tracked in Taiwan’s ADIZ 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 8 (MND image)