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

The MND said nine of the 14 People's Liberation Army aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered the northern and southwestern air defense identification zone, or ADIZ.

Taiwan sent combat patrol aircraft and naval vessels and deployed land-based air defense missile systems to monitor the PLA activity. 

So far this month, the MND has tracked Chinese military aircraft 113 times and ships 55 times. 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."