Taiwan has identified 15 Chinese military aircraft and 6 naval ships in the vicinity of the nation.

Taiwan has detected 15 Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels near its territory.

Taipei [Taiwan], June 23: The Ministry of National Defense reported detecting 15 Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels around Taiwan over the weekend. Of the 15 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, eight crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the northern and southwestern portions of the country's air defense identification zone (ADIZ). In response, Taiwan deployed aircraft, naval ships, and coastal-based missile systems to monitor the activity.

On June 22, Taiwan's defence ministry tracked 41 Chinese military aircraft and seven navy ships around the nation. A total of 32 aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, entering the northern, southwestern, and eastern Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). This month alone, Taiwan has tracked Chinese military aircraft 301 times and naval/coast guard vessels 183 times. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics around Taiwan by incrementally escalating the number of military aircraft and naval ships.

These tactics involve efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance, aiming to achieve security objectives without resorting to direct and sizable use of force. These incidents add to a series of similar provocations by China in recent months, such as increased military activities and regular air and naval incursions into ADIZ around Taiwan.

Taiwan has always been a contentious issue in China's foreign policy. China asserts its sovereignty over Taiwan, considering it a part of its territory and insisting on eventual reunification, even by force if necessary.