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 Thursday (Nov. 16) and 6 a.m. on Friday (Nov. 17).

Of the 12 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, one Shaanxi Y-8 antisubmarine warfare plane entered the southwest corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), while one Harbin Z-9 anti-submarine warfare helicopter was tracked in the southeast corner, according to the MND. No PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line during that time.

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 188 military aircraft and 97 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 paths of two out of 12 PLA aircraft. (MND image)