TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense tracked seven Chinese military aircraft, six naval vessels, and two official ships between 6 a.m. on Friday and the same time Saturday.
In response, Taiwan deployed aircraft, naval ships, and coastal-based missile systems. Five of the People’s Liberation Army aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the country’s northern and southwestern air defense identification zones, according to the ministry.
So far this month, the ministry has tracked Chinese aircraft 76 times and ships 119 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 the country.
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.”
