TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 21 Chinese military aircraft, nine naval vessels, and one official ship around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Tuesday (Sept. 10) and 6 a.m. on Wednesday. 

Of the 21 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 13 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the nation’s southwestern and eastern air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND.

In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor PLA activity. 

So far this month, Taiwan has tracked 158 Chinese military aircraft and 88 ships. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval vessels 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.”