Taiwan spotted 11 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval ships near its territory

According to the 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 spotted in the southeastern ADIZ.

According to Taiwan News, Taiwan responded by sending aircraft and naval ships and deploying coastal-based missile systems to monitor PLA movements.

So far this month, Taiwan has detected Chinese military aircraft 209 times and naval/coast guard ships 163 times.

Since September 2020, China has increased its use of grey zone tactics by increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships around Taiwan, Taiwan News reports.

Grey zone tactics are defined as “an effort, or series of efforts, beyond static-deterrence and assurance, 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 has long been a contentious issue in Chinese foreign policy. China continues to claim sovereignty over Taiwan and considers it part of its territory and has pushed for its reunification, by force if necessary.