TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense said it tracked seven Chinese naval vessels and two official ships around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Thursday and the same time Friday.
In response, Taiwan deployed aircraft, naval ships, and coastal-based missile systems to monitor People’s Liberation Army Navy activity, according to the defense ministry.
So far this month, Taiwan has tracked Chinese ships 33 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.”