TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked nine Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Tuesday (May 16) and 6 a.m. on Wednesday (May 17).

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

One Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane and one Guizhou WZ-7 reconnaissance drone were tracked in the southwest corner of the ADIZ, while one Harbin Z-9 anti-submarine warfare helicopter entered the southern sector of the zone.

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

So far this month, Beijing has sent 192 military aircraft and 61 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 three out of nine PLA aircraft. (MND image)