The Ministry of National Defense tracked eight Chinese military aircraft, nine naval vessels, and seven official ships between 6 a.m. on Thursday and the same time Friday.
In response, aircraft, naval ships, and coastal-based missile systems were deployed. All 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, Taiwan has tracked Chinese aircraft 104 times and ships 180 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.”
