Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) said that 15 Chinese military aircraft and 10 naval ships had been detected around Taiwan in the past 24 hours as of 6 am (local time) on Sunday.
In response to China's actions, Taiwan's armed forces deployed aircraft, naval ships and coastal missile systems to monitor Beijing's movements.
“As of 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today, 15 PLA aircraft and 10 PLAN ships have been spotted around Taiwan. 14 aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's central, southwestern, and southeastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and taken actions accordingly,” Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said in a post on X.
Since September 2020, China has stepped up its use of “gray zone tactics” by operating more military aircraft and naval ships near Taiwan, Taiwan News reported. According to CSIS, gray zone tactics are defined as “an effort or a series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and reassurance that seeks to achieve one's security objectives without resorting to the direct and massive use of force,” the report said.
The latest incident is among a series of provocations by China in recent months. Beijing has increased its military activities around Taiwan, including regular air and naval incursions into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and military exercises near the island.
Taiwan has been governed independently from China since 1949. However, China considers Taiwan its territory and insists on reunification, using force if necessary.
On Friday, the Taiwan MND said 30 Chinese military aircraft and nine naval ships were operating near its territory at 6 am (local time) on Friday and 6 am (local time) on Saturday.
Of the total aircraft, 23 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft entered Taiwan's southwestern and southeastern air defense identification zones (ADIZ).
According to a Taiwan News report, Chinese military aircraft came as close as 72 kilometers from Eluanbi in the south and 77 kilometers from Keelung in the north. In response to China's action, Taiwan's armed forces monitored the situation and responded accordingly.
“As of 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today, 30 PLA aircraft and 9 PLAN ships have been observed around Taiwan. 23 aircraft have entered Taiwan's southwestern and southeastern ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and taken action accordingly,” Taiwan's MND said in a post on X.