Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) said that it detected seven Chinese military aircraft and 15 naval vessels between 6 a.m. on Saturday (August 17, 2024) to 6 a.m. on Sunday (August 17, 2024).
According to the MND, among seven People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 3 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered Taiwan's northern and south-eastern air defence identification zone (ADIZ).
In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor PLA activity. In a post on ‘X’, MND stated, “Seven PLA aircraft and 15 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. today. Three of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern and south-eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly.”
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 ADIZ and military exercises near the island. Notably, Taiwan has been governed independently since 1949. However, China considers Taiwan part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary.
So far this month, Taiwan has tracked PLA aircraft 279 times and Chinese ships 150 times. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval vessels operating around Taiwan. Gray zone tactics are defined as "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."
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