Taiwan Tracks 20 Chinese Military Aircraft and 6 Naval Ships Near Island
Taipei [Taiwan], July 17: Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) reported that 20 Chinese military aircraft and six naval ships were tracked around the island from Tuesday 6 am to Wednesday 6 pm.
According to the MND, 13 of the 20 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line into the northern central, southwestern, and eastern sectors of Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ).
Taiwan responded by sending aircraft and naval ships and deploying coastal-based missile systems to monitor the PLA activity.
This month alone, the MND has tracked Chinese military aircraft 388 times and naval ships 119 times. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics, incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval vessels operating around Taiwan.
Gray zone tactics are efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that aim to achieve security objectives without direct and sizable use of force.
On Tuesday, Taiwan’s Ministry reported a significant surge in PLA activity near its airspace, with 18 PLA aircraft, 6 PLAN vessels, and 1 official ship detected as of 6 am (UTC+8). Eight of the detected aircraft crossed into Taiwan’s southwestern and eastern ADIZ, breaching the median line that typically separates Taiwanese and Chinese-controlled airspace.
This incursion marks a notable escalation in cross-strait tensions, with Taiwan responding by deploying appropriate measures to safeguard its territorial integrity and airspace.
In recent years, Taiwan has increasingly faced military manoeuvres and provocations from Beijing, which views the island as a breakaway province and has not ruled out the use of force to bring it under Chinese control. Taiwan has been governed independently of China since 1949, but Beijing considers the island part of its territory and insists on its eventual reunification, by force if necessary.
Doubts Revealed
Taiwan -: Taiwan is an island located in East Asia, near China. It has its own government and operates like a separate country, but China claims it as part of its territory.
Chinese Military Aircraft -: These are airplanes used by China’s military forces. They can be used for various purposes like defense, attack, or surveillance.
Naval Ships -: Naval ships are large boats used by a country’s navy. They can carry weapons and are used to protect the country’s waters.
Ministry of National Defence (MND) -: This is a part of Taiwan’s government that is responsible for protecting the country and managing its military forces.
Taiwan Strait -: The Taiwan Strait is a body of water that separates Taiwan from mainland China. It is about 180 kilometers wide.
Median Line -: The median line is an imaginary line in the middle of the Taiwan Strait. It is often used as a boundary to separate the areas controlled by Taiwan and China.
Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) -: This is a special area in the sky where a country monitors and controls aircraft to protect its security. If an aircraft enters this zone, it must identify itself to the country’s authorities.
Deploying -: Deploying means sending out military forces, like soldiers, ships, or aircraft, to a specific area to perform a task or mission.
Missile Systems -: These are weapons that can be launched to hit targets far away. They are often used for defense or attack in military operations.
Increased Military Activity -: This means that there has been more movement and actions by the military, like flying aircraft or sailing ships, than usual.
