TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked six Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Sunday (Jan. 14) and 6 a.m. on Monday (Jan. 15).

Of the six People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, one BZK-005 reconnaissance drone crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered the southwest corner of the country’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval vessels and deployed air defense missile systems to monitor the PLA activity.

Meanwhile, one Chinese balloon was detected at 1:47 on Sunday crossing the Taiwan Strait median line 294 km (159 NM) southwest of Keelung. The balloon traveled northeast and disappeared at 4:38 p.m. Sunday.

So far this month, Beijing has sent 114 Chinese military aircraft and 65 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 one out of six PLA aircraft and one Chinese balloon. (MND image)