TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked eight Chinese military aircraft around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Wednesday (Oct. 30) and 6 a.m. on Thursday. 

Of the eight People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, four entered the nation’s southwest air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. No PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line during that time. 

In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor the PLA activity. 

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.”