TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked seven Chinese military naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Sunday (May 7) and 6 a.m. on Monday (May 8).

In response, Taiwan sent naval ships and used land-based missile systems to track the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) ships. No PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line or were tracked in Taiwan’s air defense identification zone during that time, according to the MND.

So far this month, Beijing has sent 83 military aircraft and 39 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.”