Taiwan has reported the detection of seven Chinese military aircraft, five naval ships, and one balloon within its vicinity over the past 24 hours, as disclosed by Taiwan News.
The Ministry of National Defense of Taiwan revealed that seven fighter planes belonging to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) were observed in the Taiwan Strait. However, there were no indications of any infringement into the air defense identification zone (ADIZ) or breach of the median line.
The ministry emphasized its ongoing monitoring of the situation through its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. In response to the detected activity, Taiwan scrambled combat patrol planes, dispatched navy ships, and activated land-based air defense missile systems.
Furthermore, the ministry reported the presence of a Chinese balloon within the ADIZ at 1:41 am on Friday, located 144 km (78 NM) northwest of Keelung City at an altitude of 6,096 meters. The balloon traversed eastward, disappearing north of Taiwan around 2:33 am on Friday, shortly after exiting the ADIZ’s northern sector.
This incident adds to the escalating frequency of Chinese military activities near Taiwan. In February alone, Taiwan’s defense authorities have recorded 123 Chinese military aircraft and 77 naval vessels. Since September 2020, Beijing has increasingly utilized “grey zone tactics,” including deploying military assets across the median line and into Taiwan’s ADIZ.
According to the US think tank, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), “grey zone tactics” refer to efforts aimed at achieving security objectives without resorting to direct and substantial use of force, going beyond conventional deterrence strategies.