Taiwan Tracks 36 Chinese Military Aircraft and 6 Naval Vessels Near Its Borders
Taipei [Taiwan], July 5: Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) reported tracking 36 Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels around Taiwan over a 24-hour period from Thursday to Friday. Of these, 35 aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in the northern, southwestern, and southeastern regions.
In response, Taiwan deployed aircraft, naval ships, and coastal-based missile systems to monitor the activity. This month alone, the MND has tracked Chinese military aircraft 101 times and naval ships 26 times.
Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics, which involve efforts to achieve security objectives without direct and sizable use of force. These tactics have included incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval vessels operating around Taiwan.
Recently, China issued new legal guidelines threatening Taiwan’s autonomy. These guidelines allow for severe punishments, including trials in absentia and the death penalty, for Taiwanese separatists. Human Rights Watch commented that these guidelines are stark reminders of China’s aggressive efforts to stifle the freedoms of Taiwan’s 23 million inhabitants.
