TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense detected eight Chinese naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Friday and 6 a.m. on Saturday.

The ministry reported that it sent a Civil Air Patrol aircraft to monitor the ships. No plane incursions were noted.  

So far this month, Taiwan has tracked Chinese military aircraft 207 times and ships 106 times. 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.”