TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The defense ministry detected one PLA aircraft, eight naval vessels, and one official ship around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

The aircraft was reported to have crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait. In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and Navy ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor Chinese activity.

So far this month, Taiwan has tracked PLA aircraft 408 times and ships 236 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.”