Taiwan detects 30 Chinese military aircraft, 9 navy vessels around nation

Taiwan Defence Ministry detected 30 Chinese military aircraft and nine navy vessels operating around its nation between Tuesday 6 am and Wednesday 6 am, Taiwan Ministry of National Defence said.

It added that 20 Chinese aircraft entered its northern middle line and Taiwan’s southwest air defence identification zone (ADIZ).

“30 PLA aircraft and 9 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 20 of the aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, middle line, and SW ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and employed appropriate force to respond,” Taiwan Ministry of National Defence posted on X.

Taiwan tracked seven Chinese naval vessels and six military aircraft around the nation amid escalating cross-strait tensions on Tuesday, Taiwan News reported.

In an official post on ‘X,’ Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) said, “6 PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 am (UTC+8) today. 2 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and employed appropriate forces to respond.”

Notably, in March, Taiwan tracked 359 Chinese military aircraft and 204 naval vessels, according to Taiwan News.

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 resorting to direct and sizable use of force.”

Meanwhile, the Taiwanese military condemned the filming by drones by Chinese netizens on the outlying island of Erdan near Kinmen on March 31, Taiwan News reported.

Some reports circulated online suggesting that unmanned aerial vehicles had captured footage of military movements on the Taiwanese-held island, within view of the Chinese city of Xiamen.

The Kinmen Defence Command said local officers could take appropriate measures based on the threat level the drones posed.

The military blamed some Chinese netizens for the provocative behaviour, which could easily escalate into a serious incident.