Taiwan detects 36 Chinese aircraft, seven shipping vessels around its territory

Taiwan’s Ministry of Defence detected 36 Chinese aircraft and seven shipping vessels around its territory in the last 24 hours till 6 am on Friday.

Thirty four of the aircraft entered Taiwan’s SW and eastern Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) . Following this, the Taiwanese forces monitored the situation and responded accordingly.

“36 #PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around #Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 34 of the aircraft entered Taiwan’s SW and eastern ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly,” Taiwan’s MND posted on the X platform on Friday morning.

Earlier on Thursday, Taiwan tracked 11 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval vessels around the island nation during the last 24 hours till 6 am Thursday, reported Taiwan News.

According to Taiwan’s MND, out of 11 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, seven crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the northern and southwestern sectors of the country’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ) while one PLA helicopter was tracked in the southeast ADIZ.

Since September 2020, China has intensified its use of gray zone tactics by increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships that operate near Taiwan’s territory.

Gray zone tactics are called “an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one’s security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force,” according to Taiwan News.

This latest incident adds to 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, officially known as the Republic of China, has long been a contentious issue in China’s foreign policy. China continues to assert its sovereignty over Taiwan and considers it a part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary.