The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 13 Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Monday (May 29) and 6 a.m. on Tuesday (May 30).
Of the 13 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, one Shaanxi Y-8 reconnaissance plane and one WZ-7 reconnaissance drone were monitored in the southwest corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. No PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line during that time.
In response, Taiwan sent aircraft, naval ships, and used land-based missiles to monitor PLA activity.
So far this month, Beijing has sent 326 military aircraft and 139 naval vessels around Taiwan. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships operating around Taiwan.
Gray zone tactics are defined as “an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one’s security objectives without resorting to direct and sizable use of force.”