TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 24 Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Thursday (Nov. 30) and 6 a.m. on Friday (Dec. 1).

Of the 24 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 12 were tracked in Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), including six Chengdu J-10 combat jets and two Shenyang J-16 fighter jets that crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, according to the MND. Meanwhile, one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane, one Shaanxi Y-9 transport plane, one KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft, and one Harbin Z-9 anti-submarine warfare helicopter entered the southwest corner of the ADIZ.

In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed air defense missile systems to monitor PLA activity.

Last month, Beijing sent 362 military aircraft and 182 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 12 out of 24 PLA aircraft. (MND image)