Taiwan detects 36 Chinese aircraft and seven ships around its territory

Of these, 34 aircraft entered Taiwan's southwest and eastern air defense identification zones (ADIZ). Following this, the Taiwanese military monitored the situation and retaliated accordingly.

“As of 6 AM today (UTC+8), 36 #PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN ships have been spotted in the vicinity of #Taiwan. 34 of these aircraft have entered Taiwan's southwest and eastern ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and taken actions accordingly,” Taiwan's MND posted on the X platform on Friday morning.

36 #PLA Aircraft and 7 PLA ships are operating nearby #taiwan As of 6 a.m. today (UTC+8), 34 aircraft were detected. 34 aircraft entered Taiwan's southwest and eastern ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces The situation is being monitored and response is being given accordingly. pic.twitter.com/TGOibZW1YB

— Ministry of National Defense, ROC 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) 21 June 2024

Earlier on Thursday, Taiwan News reported that during the past 24 hours until 6 a.m. Thursday, Taiwan tracked 11 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval ships around the island nation.

According to Taiwan's MND, seven of the 11 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait and entered the northern and southwestern sectors of the country's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), while one PLA helicopter was tracked in the southeastern ADIZ.

Since September 2020, China has intensified its use of grey zone tactics by increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships near Taiwan's territory.

According to Taiwan News, the gray zone strategy is described as “an effort, or series of efforts, beyond static deterrence and reassurance that attempts to achieve one's security objectives without the direct and large-scale use of force.”

The latest incident is one of a series of similar provocations by China in recent months. China has increased its military activities around Taiwan, including regular air and naval incursions into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, has long been a contentious issue in China's foreign policy. China continues to claim sovereignty over Taiwan and considers it part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary.