TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 15 Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Wednesday (Jan. 10) and 6 a.m. on Thursday (Jan. 11).
Of the 15 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane and one Shaanxi Y-9 airplane 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.
The MND also tracked three Chinese balloons on Wednesday crossing the median line at 6:53 a.m. and 2:40 p.m. at locations 156 km (84 NM) west of Keelung, 137 km (74 NM) northwest of Keelung, and 120 km (65 NM) northwest of Keelung. The balloons headed east and sequentially disappeared at 8:15 a.m., 8:50 a.m., and 3:49 p.m. yesterday.
So far this month, Beijing has sent 90 Chinese military aircraft and 45 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 15 PLA aircraft and three Chinese balloons. (MND image)
