TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense tracked nine Chinese military aircraft, one balloon, and 11 naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.

The People’s Liberation Army aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered the country’s northern, southwestern, and eastern air defense identification zone, according to the MND. The balloon transited across northern Taiwan and disappeared off the east coast.

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

The MND also said the PRC will conduct a space rocket launch from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on Saturday, with the trajectory heading toward the West Pacific and expected to pass through Taiwan’s ADIZ.

So far this month, Taiwan has tracked Chinese military aircraft 104 times and ships 100 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.”