Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) reported the tracking of 14 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval vessels in the vicinity of Taiwan, as per Taiwan News. These People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft remained within the bounds of international airspace, refraining from crossing the Taiwan Strait median line or encroaching upon the southwest corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ). Responding to this activity, Taiwan promptly dispatched aircraft and naval vessels while deploying air defense missile systems to monitor the PLA’s movements.
This recent incident adds to a growing tally of Chinese military presence around Taiwan, with Taiwan having tracked Chinese military aircraft 72 times and naval vessels 35 times thus far. Specifically, in March alone, there have been 30 sightings of Chinese military aircraft and 14 sightings of naval vessels, underlining an ongoing trend since September 2020. During this period, China has been noted for its increased utilization of grey zone tactics, gradually escalating its military presence around Taiwan.
Notably, just days before, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense detected 21 Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels operating around Taiwan, with one Chinese drone breaching the Taiwan Strait median line and entering the southwest corner of Taiwan’s ADIZ, according to Taiwan News. This continuous pattern underscores the persistent tension in the region and the strategic maneuvers employed by both Taiwan and China.