TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense tracked two Chinese military aircraft, four naval vessels, and one official ship around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Tuesday and 6 a.m. on Wednesday. 

The two People’s Liberation Army aircraft both crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered the country’s northern air defense identification zone, according to the MND. 

In response, Taiwan deployed aircraft, naval ships, and coastal-based missile systems to monitor PLA activity.

So far this month, Taiwan has tracked Chinese aircraft 233 times and ships 153 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. 

CSIS defines gray zone tactics 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.”