The Taiwan Ministry of National Defence (MND) reported the detection of 36 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval vessels operating around Taiwan within the last 24 hours, as of 6 am local time on Wednesday.
Of the 36 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 31 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern, and eastern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. In response, Taiwan deployed aircraft, naval ships, and coastal-based missile systems to monitor the PLA activity.
In a post on X, the Taiwan MND stated, “36 PLA aircraft and 8 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 31 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern, and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly.”
Throughout August, Taiwan has detected Chinese military aircraft 128 times and naval ships 62 times, according to Taiwan News. Since September 2020, China has intensified its use of gray zone tactics by increasing the presence of military aircraft and naval vessels around Taiwan. Gray zone tactics are described as efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that aim to achieve security objectives without direct and sizable use of force.
This incident is part of a series of similar provocations by China in recent months, which have included regular air and naval incursions into Taiwan’s ADIZ and military exercises near the island. Taiwan has been governed independently since 1949, but China considers Taiwan part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary.
On Tuesday, the Taiwan MND reported detecting 21 Chinese military aircraft between 6 am Monday and 6 am Tuesday. Of these, 18 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern, and eastern ADIZ. The Ministry noted in a post on X that the detected aircraft included various types, such as J-16 and KJ-500.