Taiwan’s Defense Ministry detected 11 sorties by Chinese military aircraft, eight warships and two Chinese official vessels around the island by 6 a.m. Friday Taipei time. The ministry said 10 of the 11 sorties entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone southwest and east of the island.
It added that it monitored the Chinese activity and took response measures, without providing further details about their nature. The moves came a day after the ministry said it had detected 18 sorties by Chinese aircraft, eight warships and one official vessel. It said 13 aircraft crossed the median line and entered the northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones.
The ministry also said it had detected 16 sorties by Chinese aircraft of various types on Wednesday, as part of what it described as a “joint combat readiness patrol” that began at 8:24 a.m. It added that 11 aircraft crossed the median line and entered the northern, central and eastern air defense identification zones.
On September 6, the ministry said it had detected 21 military aircraft, 10 warships and five Chinese official vessels around the island between 6 a.m. Saturday and 6 a.m. Sunday. It said 13 aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait within the northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones. The ministry said at the time that it had deployed aircraft, warships and land-based missile systems to monitor Chinese activity.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies defines these tactics as efforts that go beyond static deterrence to achieve security objectives without the direct and large-scale use of force.
