TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 25 Chinese military aircraft and five naval ships around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Monday (May 15) and 6 a.m. on Tuesday (May 16).

Of the 25 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, eight were tracked in Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. No PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line during that time.

Six Xian H-6 bombers and one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane were monitored in the southwest corner of the ADIZ, while one Harbin Z-9 anti-submarine warfare helicopter was tracked in the southeast sector of the zone.

In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and used land-based missiles to monitor PLA activity.

So far this month, Beijing has sent 183 military aircraft and 56 naval vessels around Taiwan. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships operating around Taiwan.

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 eight out of 25 PLA aircraft. (MND image)