Taiwan detects 33 military aircraft, six navy ships around nation sent by China

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Taiwan detected 33 military aircraft and six naval vessels from China between 6 a.m. Friday (Jan. 26) and Saturday around the nation, the Ministry of National Defence of Taiwan reported.

Taiwan responded by sending planes and navy ships, as well as deploying air defence missile systems, to track the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) actions.

According to Taiwan News, the country’s defence ministry reported that 13 Chinese aircraft breached the southern and northern air defence identification zones (ADIZ).

It did not offer information on all of the planes and drones.

The military “monitored the situation and tasked appropriate forces to respond.”

It also sent combat patrol planes, sent out navy ships, and deployed land-based air defence missile systems.

According to media reports, the pressure from Beijing has mounted on Taiwan at a time when US national security advisor Jake Sullivan and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi were set to meet in Bangkok.

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Since September 2020, Beijing has increasingly used “grey zone tactics” such as deploying military aircraft and naval vessels across the middle line and into Taiwan’s ADIZ.

According to CSIS, 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 resorting to direct and sizable use of force,” Taiwan News reported.

So far this year, the Taiwan military has identified 266 Chinese military aircraft and 116 naval vessels. (ANI)