TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The defense ministry detected eight Chinese military aircraft and two naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Wednesday and 6 a.m. on Thursday.

All eight aircraft were reported to have crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered the nation’s northern and southwestern air defense identification zones, or ADIZ. In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor Chinese activity.

In August so far, Taiwan has tracked Chinese military aircraft 251 times and ships 100 times. Since September 2020, Beijing has increased its use of “gray zone tactics” by operating military aircraft and naval vessels 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.”