Nine Chinese military aircraft and eight naval vessels were tracked by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) around Taiwan between 6 am on Friday and 6 am on Saturday. Four of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ). Taiwan’s MND closely monitored the situation and responded by deploying appropriate resources and forces.

China has been employing ‘grey zone tactics’ by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships operating around Taiwan since September 2020. These tactics aim to achieve security objectives without resorting to direct and sizable use of force.

Earlier, on Thursday, Taiwan detected ten Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels. Taiwan’s MND reported that one of the PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line. In response, Taiwan deployed its own aircraft and naval vessels, as well as air defence missile systems to monitor the PLA’s activity.

According to Taiwan News, in the month of February alone, Taiwan has detected over 250 Chinese military aircraft and over 150 Chinese naval ships around its territory.

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