TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 12 Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Friday (Nov. 3) and 6 a.m. on Saturday (Nov. 4).

Of the 12 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, one was tracked in Taiwan’s southern air defense identification zone (ADIZ) — a Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane, according to the MND.

In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed land-based missile systems to monitor PLA activity. So far this month, Beijing has sent 64 military aircraft and 21 naval ships 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 path of plane. (MND photo)