The Ministry of National Defense said it has detected 15 Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels around Taiwan between Saturday and Sunday, according to the media reports.
According to MND, of the 15 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, eight crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the northern and southwestern portions of the country’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ).
In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor the PLA activity. On June 22, Taiwan’s defence ministry tracked 41 Chinese military aircraft and seven navy ships around the nation.
According to the ministry, a total of 32 aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered the northern, southwestern, and eastern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).
So far this month, Taiwan has tracked Chinese military aircraft 301 times and naval/coast guard vessels 183 times. Since September 2020, China has ramped up its use of gray zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships 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.
This latest incident adds to a series of similar provocations by China in recent months. China has increased its military activities around Taiwan.
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