TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense tracked 12 Chinese military aircraft, eight naval vessels, and three official ships around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Tuesday and 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
Seven of the 12 People’s Liberation Army aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the country’s northern, southwestern, and southeastern air defense identification zone, according to the MND.
In response, Taiwan deployed aircraft and naval ships as well as coastal-based missile systems to monitor PLA activity.
Last month, Taiwan tracked Chinese aircraft 444 times and ships 255 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.”
