TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense tracked 10 Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. Wednesday and 6 a.m. Thursday.
The MND said four of the 10 People's Liberation Army aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered the southwestern and southeastern air defense identification zone (ADIZ). These included eight main fighter jets and two support aircraft.
Taiwan sent combat patrol aircraft and naval vessels and deployed land-based air defense missile systems to monitor the PLA activity.
In addition, the ministry announced that China will launch a carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province on Friday. The ministry predicts the rocket will pass over Taiwan's ADIZ as it delivers a satellite into orbit.
So far this month, the MND has tracked 310 Chinese military aircraft and 210 ships. Since September 2020, Beijing has increased its use of "gray zone tactics" by operating military aircraft and naval ships around Taiwan.
According to CSIS, gray zone tactics are “an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one’s security objectives without resorting to direct and sizable use of force."
