After a brief pause of three days, Taiwan detected Chinese military activity around the island, according to a statement from Taiwan’s ministry of defence (MND).
The ministry said that at least 13 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and 3 People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels were spotted operating near Taiwan.
The MND also reported that eight of the aircraft crossed the median line and penetrated in Taiwan’s southwestern air defence identification zone (ADIZ).
“13 PLA aircraft and 3 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6am (UTC+8) today. 8 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly,” the MND said in a tweet.
This came after an earlier detection on October 1, when eight PLA aircraft and two PLAN vessels were observed from the morning of September 30 to October 1. During that period, four aircraft also crossed the median line into the southwestern ADIZ.
These latest incursions are part of an ongoing pattern of increased Chinese military activity near Taiwan, including frequent air and naval operations.
Since September 2020, China has escalated its use of “gray zone” tactics, steadily intensifying its military presence around the island.