Taiwan tracked 20 Chinese military aircraft and three naval ships around its air defence identification zone (ADIZ).
The Ministry of National Defence (MND) tracked 20 Chinese military aircraft and three naval ships around Taiwan as of 5 pm on Thursday, reported Taiwan News. In response, Taiwan sent combat patrol aircraft and naval ships and used land-based missile systems to monitor the PLA aircraft and vessels, in addition to issuing radio warnings.
Of the 20 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane and one Shaanxi Y-8 reconnaissance plane were monitored in the southwest corner of Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND, reported Taiwan News.
However, no PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line on Thursday.
Beijing has sent 266 Chinese military aircraft and 71 naval ships around Taiwan so far in October, reported Taiwan News. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of grey zone tactics by routinely sending aircraft into Taiwan’s ADIZ.
Grey zone tactics are defined as “an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempt to achieve one’s security objectives without resorting to the direct and sizable use of force.” Notably, tensions across the Taiwan Strait heightened after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the self-governing island.
Moreover, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s statement at the weeklong 20th National Congress has blown away any hope of seeing the globe rinsed off the threat and geopolitical tension very soon.
The HK Post reported that he emphasised safeguarding China’s core interests (read as the country’s territorial claims), strengthening military capabilities, and not abandoning the use of force for the reunification of Taiwan, according to The HK Post. This leaves little room for speculation about China’s plans in the next five years, given that it continues to project its military might in the Indo-Pacific region, where Taiwan’s unification by force will pit it against the US, triggering a possible war between the two countries.