TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s defense ministry reported Saturday (Oct. 9) that it detected a China satellite launch, along with 10 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels in Taiwan's vicinity.

The rocket, planes, and ships were monitored between 6 a.m. on Friday (Dec. 8) and the same time the next day. Of the 10 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, two entered the southwest corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ).

They were identified as a Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane and a Shaanxi Y-8 RECCE drone. No other information on the satellite launch was given beyond it was likely made from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China’s Gobi Desert.

The defense ministry tweeted on X: “It poses no threat to us because the flight path flew toward the Indian Ocean. We monitored the vehicle's activity and are ready to respond if necessary.”

As usual, in response to China’s plane and vessel movements, Taiwan sent aircraft and "naval ships and deployed air defense missile systems to monitor PLA activity."

So far this month, Beijing has sent 67 military aircraft and 50 naval ships around Taiwan. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships 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.”

(MND photo)