TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Ministry of Defense tracked five Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. Thursday (June 15) and 6 a.m. Friday (June 16).
Among five PLA aircraft, a Guizhou Wuzhi-7 reconnaissance plane entered the southwest corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the Ministry of National Defense. During this period, no PLA aircraft crossed the center line of the Taiwan Strait.
In response, Taiwan dispatched aircraft, naval vessels and used land-based missiles to monitor PLA activities.
So far this month, Beijing has sent 169 military aircraft and 72 naval vessels to circle Taiwan. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by gradually increasing the number of military aircraft and naval vessels operating around Taiwan.
Gray zone tactics are defined as “an effort or set of efforts that go beyond steady-state deterrence and assurances to attempt to achieve one’s own security objectives without resorting to the direct and massive use of force.”
The flight trajectory of the Wuzhi No. 7 UAV. (MND image)
