Taiwan Detects 12 Chinese Military Aircraft and Six Warships in 24 Hours; Five Planes Cross Taiwan Strait Midline

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense detected 12 military aircraft, six warships and three official vessels belonging to China between 6 a.m. on Saturday and 6 a.m. on Sunday.

The ministry added that in response Taiwan deployed warplanes, naval vessels and coastal missile systems, and that five aircraft from the People's Liberation Army crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait in the country's southwestern air defense identification zone.

So far this month, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense has detected Chinese aircraft 63 times and ships 116 times.

Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray-zone tactics by gradually raising the number of military aircraft and warships operating around Taiwan.

The International Institute for Strategic Studies defines gray-zone tactics as "an effort or series of efforts that go beyond mere deterrence and ensure the achievement of a state's security objectives without resorting to the direct and overwhelming use of force."