TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked eight Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Thursday (Jan. 4) and 6 a.m. on Friday (Jan. 5).
Of the eight People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane and one Shaanxi Y-8 reconnaissance plane entered the southwest corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), 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 air defense missile systems to monitor the PLA activity.
One Chinese balloon was also tracked crossing the median line at 6:59 a.m. on Thursday 163 km (88 NM) northwest of Hsinchu at an altitude of approximately 7,315 m (24,000 ft). It headed northeast and disappeared at 9:43 a.m.
So far this month, Beijing has sent 27 Chinese military aircraft and 17 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 eight PLA aircraft and a Chinese balloon. (MND image)