TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense tracked eight Chinese military aircraft, eight naval vessels, and four official ships around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Monday and 6 a.m. on Tuesday.
Four of the eight People’s Liberation Army aircraft entered the country’s southwestern and eastern air defense identification zone, according to the MND.
In response, the MND deployed aircraft, naval ships, and coastal-based missile systems to monitor PLA activity.
So far this month, the MND has tracked Chinese aircraft 34 times and ships 81 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.”
