Taiwan tracks multiple Chinese military aircraft, a balloon around nation

NEW DELHI: Taiwan has detected seven Chinese military aircraft, five naval ships, and one balloon near its territory in the last 24 hours, reported the Taiwan News.

The Ministry of National Defence of Taiwan confirmed the presence of seven People’s Liberation Army (PLA) fighter planes in the Taiwan Strait.

However, there is no evidence of any violation of the air defence identification zone (ADIZ) or the median line.

The ministry is closely monitoring the situation using its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance equipment.

In response, Taiwan scrambled combat patrol planes, deployed navy ships, and activated land-based air defence missile systems.

A Chinese balloon was also spotted within the ADIZ at 1:41 am on Friday, approximately 144 km northwest of Keelung City, flying at a height of 6,096 meters. The balloon then moved eastwards, disappearing around 2:33 am on Friday, just after leaving the northern section of the ADIZ.

In February alone, Taiwan observed a total of 123 Chinese military aircraft and 77 naval vessels. Since September 2020, Beijing has increasingly employed “grey zone tactics,” including deploying military aircraft and naval vessels across the median line and into Taiwan’s ADIZ.

The US think tank, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), defines “grey zone tactics” as “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.”

(With ANI inputs)

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