TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense tracked 29 Chinese military craft, six naval vessels, and two official ships between 6 a.m. on Friday and the same time Saturday. 

The defense ministry reported 15 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern, central, and southwestern air defense identification zones, or ADIZ. In response, Taiwan deployed aircraft, naval ships, and coastal-based missile systems to monitor Chinese activity.

So far this month, the defense ministry has tracked Chinese military aircraft 29 times and ships eight 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.”