The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 11 Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Tuesday (August and 6 a.m. on Wednesday (August 9).

Of the 11 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, one BZK-005 reconnaissance drone crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the southwest corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND.

Meanwhile, a Harbin Z-9 anti-submarine warfare helicopter entered the southeast sector of the ADIZ.

In response, Taiwan sent aircraft, naval ships, and used land-based missile systems to monitor PLA activity.

So far this month, Beijing has sent 94 military aircraft and 62 naval ship sorties around Taiwan. 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 resort to direct and sizable use of force.”