TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's defense ministry tracked five Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels around the country between 6 a.m. on Sunday (Oct. 8) and 6 a.m. on Monday (Oct. 9).

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) said five People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) military aircraft and four People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels were detected. It added an illustration of the flight paths was not provided as there was no trace of PLAAF aircraft crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, or entering the southwestern sector of Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ).

The defense ministry said it monitored the situation with its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance system. In response, it scrambled combat patrol aircraft, dispatched naval vessels, and deployed land-based air defense missile systems.

Since September 2020, Beijing has employed the use of "gray zone tactics" in the form of deployments of military aircraft and naval vessels over the median line and inside Taiwan's ADIZ. According to the Center for Strategic & International Studies, gray zone tactics are “an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one’s security objectives without resorting to direct and sizable use of force."

Also on Monday, the MND released a video showing previous Double Ten National Day celebrations. Accompanying the video was a tweet on X (formerly Twitter) saying, “Forever Glory.”



Taipei stands prepared for Double Ten and the annual national celebrations, on Tuesday. (MND screenshot)

#DoubleTenthDay Forever Glory

2023 Double Ten National Day pic.twitter.com/lG2NXRCKUw

— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. 〔錯誤字元無法儲存〕〔錯誤字元無法儲存〕 (@MoNDefense) October 9, 2023