TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The defense ministry reported nine Chinese military aircraft and six vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Four of the aircraft entered the country’s southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones (ADIZ). In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor Chinese activity.

So far this month, Taiwan has tracked Chinese military aircraft 204 times and ships 119 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. 

CSIS defines gray zone tactics 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.”