TAIPEI: In the past 24 hours, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) closely tracked the movements of one Chinese military aircraft and three naval vessels as Typhoon Koinu’s storm circle affected the region.
The defence ministry reported the detection of one People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) military aircraft and three People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels. While no flight path details were disclosed, the MND confirmed that the PLAAF aircraft did not cross the median line of the Taiwan Strait or enter the southwestern sector of Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ).
To address the situation, the MND used its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance system, mobilizing combat patrol aircraft, naval vessels, and land-based air defence missile systems.
This incident is part of Beijing’s ongoing use of “gray zone tactics,” involving deployments of military assets near Taiwan. Gray zone tactics aim to achieve security objectives without resorting to direct and significant use of force, as described by CSIS.
