TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense tracked nine Chinese naval vessels and seven military aircraft around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Monday and 6 a.m. on Tuesday. 

One of the seven People’s Liberation Army aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the country’s northern air defense identification zone, according to the MND. 

In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor PLA activity. 

Last month, Taiwan tracked Chinese military aircraft 499 times and ships 216 times. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval vessels operating around Taiwan. 

Gray zone tactics are defined as “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.”