Gray Zone Warfare Heats Up: Taiwan tracks 30 Chinese warplanes in 24 hours, raising regional concerns

Taiwan reported that 30 Chinese military aircraft were detected around the island within a 24-hour period on Wednesday, marking one of the highest daily counts this year, according to a report by AFP.

China considers self-ruling Taiwan as its territory and has never ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control, the report added.

According to Taiwan’s defense ministry, 20 of the detected aircraft crossed into the island’s so-called Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). The ministry stated, “Taiwan’s armed forces monitored the situation and employed (patrol) aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities,” as quoted by AFP.

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Last month, Taiwan detected 36 Chinese warplanes around the island over a 24-hour period, the highest daily count this year.

The recent uptick in incursions follows a pattern of what experts refer to as “grey zone” actions – moves that fall short of outright acts of war.

These actions have escalated since the 2016 election of President Tsai Ing-wen, who considers Taiwan “already independent” – a stance that crosses a red line for Beijing.

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China deploys warplanes and naval vessels around Taiwan on a near-daily basis, and balloon flights over the island have also increased.

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Taiwan’s current Vice President, Lai Ching-te – who is disliked by Beijing – won the January 13 presidential election. Lai and Vice President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) will take office on May 20.

The ongoing tensions between Taiwan and China continue to raise concerns in the region, as Beijing maintains its stance on reclaiming the self-governing island.

(With Inputs from AFP)