TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked nine Chinese military aircraft and eight naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Friday (March 1) and the same time on Saturday (March 2).

Four of the nine People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered the southwest corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ). The MND said it monitored the situation and responded by deploying appropriate resources and forces.

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.”

(MND photo)