Taipei [Taiwan], December 21 : Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) said that nine Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels were detected operating around Taiwan until 6 am (local time) on Saturday.
Of the nine People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, six aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and southeastern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).
In response to China's action, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor Beijing's activity.
In a post on X, Taiwan's MND stated, "9 PLA aircraft and 5 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 6 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and southeastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly."
So far in December, Taiwan detected 331 Chinese military aircraft and 220 ships, Taiwan News reported. Since September 2020, China has intensified its use of gray zone tactics by increasing the number of military aircraft and naval vessels operating around Taiwan.
According to Taiwan News report, gray zone tactics are considered "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."
The recent pattern of escalated manoeuvres by China around Taiwan have raised concerns over regional stability as Beijing continues to assert its claims over the island.
The Taiwan-China issue is a complex and longstanding geopolitical conflict centred on Taiwan's sovereignty. China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and insists on the "One China" policy, which asserts that there is only one China, with Beijing as its capital. Meanwhile, Taiwan, supported by a significant portion of its population, continues to maintain its independence.
On December 12, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte criticised China's stance towards Taiwan and said that "China is bullying Taiwan, and pursuing access to critical infrastructure in ways that could cripple societies."
The remarks by Rutte came while delivering a speech at Carnegie Europe think tank in Brussels on December 12. He also sounded the alarm over China's increasing military and technological advancements, warning of their implications for global security.
He said, "We need to be clear-eyed about China's ambitions. China is substantially building up its forces, including its nuclear weapons - with no transparency and no limitations. From 200 warheads in 2020, China is expected to have more than 1,000 nuclear weapons by 2030. Its space-launch investments are skyrocketing. China is bullying Taiwan, and pursuing access to our critical infrastructure in ways that could cripple our societies"
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