TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 22 Chinese military aircraft and three naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Friday (Jan. 6) and 6 a.m. on Saturday (Jan. 7).

Sixteen of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered Taiwan’s southwest air defense identification zone (ADIZ). In response, Taiwan’s armed forces sent aircraft and naval ships and used land-based missiles to monitor the PLA aircraft and vessels.

Plane types included the Xi’an JH-7, Sukhoi Su-30, Shenyang J-11, Shenyang J-16, Chengdu J-10, Harbin BZK-005, and Shaanxi Y-8.

So far this month, Beijing has sent 94 military aircraft and 23 naval ships around Taiwan. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by routinely sending aircraft into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.

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.”

Flight paths of PLA aircraft. (MND photo)