TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense tracked five Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. Thursday and 6 a.m. Friday.

The MND said one of the five People's Liberation Army fighter-bombers crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered the 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 191 times and ships 84 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."