TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked six Chinese military aircraft and three naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Thursday (March 23) and 6 a.m. on Friday (March 24).

In response, Taiwan sent aircraft, naval ships, and used land-based missiles to monitor the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and vessels, according to the MND. No PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line or entered the southwest corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) during this time.

So far this month, Beijing has sent 315 military aircraft and 86 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.”