Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) recently reported a surge in Chinese miliary activity near its teritory over the weekend. It revealed that it had detected seven Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels operating around the vicinity in Taiwan from 6 am (local time) on Saturday to 6 am (local time) on Sunday. Among the seven aircrafts that were detected, one had reportedly crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s Southwest Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ), according to Taiwan’s MND.
In response to the Chinese manoeuvre, Taiwanese armed forces kept a close watch over the situation, monitoring the activities. The forces also promptly deployed combat patrol aircraft, naval vessels, and coastal missile systems, as stated in Taiwan’s MND announcement.
In a social media post on their official handle on X, Taiwan’s MND provided updates on the situation, stating, “7 PLA aircraft and 5 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 1 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s SW ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly.”
7 PLA aircraft and 5 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 1 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s SW ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly. pic.twitter.com/fMXxFbSquF
— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) May 5, 2024
This recent uptick in Chinese military activity was followed after a similar incident was reported earlier, with nine Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels detected operating around Taiwan from 6 am (local time) on Friday to 6 am (local time) on Saturday. Taiwan responded by closely monitoring the situation and deploying appropriate defensive measures.
Taking to social media once again, Taiwan’s MND posted, “9 PLA aircraft and 5 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly.”
Reports from Taiwan News on Saturday indicated that in May alone, Taiwan has detected Chinese military aircraft 39 times and naval vessels 21 times. This heightened activity is part of China’s sustained “gray zone tactics,” a term coined by CSIS to describe efforts beyond conventional deterrence and assurance, aiming to achieve strategic objectives without resorting to direct and significant use of force.
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