Taiwan spots 23 Chinese military aircraft and 7 naval ships around the country

According to the MND, 19 of the 23 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait into the northern, southwestern and eastern sectors of the country's air defence identification zone (ADIZ).

In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships to monitor PLA activity and deployed shore-based missile systems, according to Taiwan News.

On June 23, the Defense Ministry observed 15 Chinese military aircraft and six naval ships surrounding it.

According to Taiwan News, so far this month, Taiwan has tracked Chinese military aircraft 324 times and naval/coast guard vessels 190 times. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of grey zone tactics by increasing the number of military aircraft and naval vessels operating around Taiwan.

Grey zone tactics are defined as “an effort, or series of efforts, beyond static-control and assurance that attempts to achieve one's security objectives without using direct and massive force.”

This 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 the ADIZ.

Taiwan has long been a contentious issue in Chinese foreign policy. China continues to claim sovereignty over Taiwan, considers it part of its territory, and insists on reunification, by force if necessary.

Meanwhile, in a recent incident, a Chinese rocket carrying a satellite passed over southern Taiwan on Saturday, Taiwan's Ministry of Defense (MND) said, and Central News Agency (CNA) Taiwan reported.

According to CNA report, the Chinese rocket was launched at 3 pm (local time) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan, China. According to Taiwan's MND, by the time the rocket passed over Taiwan, it had already left the Earth's atmosphere.

Taiwan's MND said it was closely following the launch and tracking real-time information through intelligence and surveillance systems. It had alerted the public about the imminent launch on Friday, CNA reported.