TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 11 Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Wednesday (March 8) and 6 a.m. on Thursday (March 9).

Of the 11 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, five entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. Two Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets were tracked in the northeast corner of the ADIZ, while two Shenyang J-16 fighter jets and one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane were spotted in the southwest sector of the zone.

No PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line during this time. In response, Taiwan sent aircraft, naval ships, and used land-based missiles to monitor the PLA aircraft and vessels.

So far this month, Beijing has sent 133 military aircraft and 33 naval vessels around Taiwan. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by routinely sending aircraft into Taiwan’s ADIZ.

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.”



Flight paths of five out of 11 PLA aircraft. (MND image)