TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – As Typhoon Krathon made landfall in south Taiwan Thursday (Oct. 3), the Ministry of National Defense (MND) reported two consecutive days without incursions by Chinese military planes into its air defense identification zone (ADIZ).

Since 2020, China has sent aircraft into the ADIZ or across the median line of the Taiwan Strait and naval ships close to Taiwan on an almost daily basis. As recently as Tuesday (Oct. 1), the MND tracked eight Chinese military airplanes and two naval vessels near Taiwan.

The absence of the planes and ships during the past two days did not mean that Taiwan’s military could let down its guard, according to Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄).

He was speaking at a meeting of the MND emergency response center to discuss typhoon relief, per CNA. The military had teams with vehicles and specialized equipment standing by to help out with flood prevention and evacuations.

Koo said officers should still maintain an elevated level of awareness and stay prepared to keep the country safe. He reportedly attributed the drop in Chinese military activity to the approach of Typhoon Krathon from the southwest, an area where Chinese military planes often intrude.