Taiwan detects 11 Chinese military aircraft, eight naval vessels near its airspace and waters

Taipei [Taiwan], May 12 : Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) has said that it has detected 11 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval vessels operating around the country from 6 am (local time) on Saturday to 6 am (local time) on Sunday.

According to Taiwan's MND, eight of the 11 Chinese aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's Southwest Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). In response to Chinese activity, Taiwan deployed CAP aircraft, naval vessels and coastal missile systems.

In a statement shared on X, Taiwan's MND stated, "11 PLA aircraft and 8 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 8 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities."

The increased activity in the Taiwan Strait region comes amidst growing geopolitical tensions between Taiwan and China. Taiwan has long been a point of contention for Beijing, which considers the island a renegade province and has repeatedly expressed intentions to reunify it with the mainland, even if by force.

On Saturday, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence issued a statement revealing that a significant presence of Chinese military aircraft and vessels has been detected in the vicinity of Taiwan.

According to the ministry, as of 6 am (UTC+8) that day, a total of 15 China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and 6 China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels were observed operating around Taiwan. Of particular concern is the revelation that 9 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, breaching Taiwan's Southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone (SW ADIZ) and entering its airspace.

"15 PLA aircraft and 6 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 9 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's SW ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly," said Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence, posted on X on Saturday.

Since September 2020, China has intensified its use of "grey zone tactics" by operating more military aircraft and naval ships near Taiwan, Taiwan News reported.

According to CSIS, grey 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," Taiwan News reported.

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