Taiwan detects 10 Chinese military aircraft, five naval ships around nation

TAIPEI: Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) has said that it has detected 10 Chinese military aircraft and five naval ships around Taiwan in the past 24 hours, till 6 am (local time) on Saturday, Taiwan News reported.

Taiwan’s MND did not reveal whether the Chinese military aircraft crossed into China’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ). Following China’s action, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed air defense missile systems to keep a watch on the Chinese activity.

In a post shared on X, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence stated, “10 PLA aircraft and 5 PLAN vessels were detected operating around Taiwan up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and employed appropriate forces to respond.”

Since September 2020, China has intensified its use of gray zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships operating around Taiwan. Notably, China’s Communist Party considers Taiwan as its territory, despite never having controlled it.

According to Taiwan News report, gray zone tactics are “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.”

It is not the first time China has made such a move. On Friday, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) said that eight Chinese military aircraft and five naval ships were detected operating around Taiwan between 6 am (local time) on Thursday and 6 am (local time) on Friday (local time), Taiwan News reported.

According to Taiwan’s MND, of the eight People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, two crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the northeast sector of the country’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ). Furthermore, one PLA aircraft entered the southwest corner of the ADIZ.

In response to China’s action, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed air defence missile systems to keep a watch on the activity of China’s PLA, Taiwan News reported.

“8 PLA aircraft and 5 PLAN vessels were detected operating around Taiwan up until 6 a.m.(UTC+8) today. 3 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s Sw ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces monitored the situation and employed appropriate forces to respond,” Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence posted on X.

On January 30, Taiwan’s envoy to the United Kingdom Yao Chin-hsiang has urged the United Kingdom and other Western allies to help deter Chinese aggression against Taiwan, Taiwan News reported.

Yao Chin-hsiang made the remarks during a Council on Geostrategy public panel event on January 30. He said that the UK should continue to express concern regarding peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo and actively take concrete measures to defend the freedom of navigation in the region, Taiwan News reported citing Central News Agency (CNA).

He stressed that if the Taiwan Strait faces a Chinese military blockade, it would have a catastrophic effect on global economic and trade activities and harm China significantly. Taiwan envoy called it essential for the UK and its allies to make it clear to China that it recognises this reality. Yao Chin-hsiang said that Taiwan wants to be a force for good in the world and it has a responsibility to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Yao stated that Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te has said that apart from bolstering national defence, he will seek to engage in cross-strait dialogue based on dignity and equality, according to Taiwan News reported. He spoke about the unprecedented level of China’s interference in the elections conducted in Taiwan.