China Increases Grey Zone Tactics

In February, Taiwan has detected over 250 Chinese military aircraft and over 150 Chinese naval ships 150 times…reports Asian Lite News

Nine Chinese military aircraft and 8 naval vessels were tracked by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) around Taiwan between 6 am on Friday (local time) and 6 am on Saturday (local time), Taiwan News reported.

Four out of nine People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered the southwest corner of Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ).

The MND said it monitored the situation and responded by deploying appropriate resources and forces.

“9 PLA aircraft and 8 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. today. 4 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s SW ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and employed appropriate forces to respond,” Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence posted on X.

Since September 2020, China has increased its use of ‘grey zone tactics’ by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships operating around Taiwan, according to Taiwan News.

Grey zone tactics are defined as “an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one’s security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force.”

Earlier, 10 Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels were detected by Taiwan between 6 am on Thursday and 6 am on Friday

According to Taiwan’s MND, one aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, of the 10 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft.

In response, Taiwan also sent aircraft and naval vessels and deployed air defence missile systems to monitor the PLA activity.

Earlier, 19 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels were detected on Thursday. Among the 19 Chinese PLA aircraft, 12 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line.

So far in February, Taiwan has detected over 250 Chinese military aircraft and over 150 Chinese naval ships 150 times, according to a Taiwan News report.

Taiwanese ex-legislative candidate indicted

Former independent legislative candidate Ma Chih-wei has been officially indicted by the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office on charges related to alleged collaboration with China during her candidacy preparations for Taiwan’s elections held on January 13, Focus Taiwan reported.

The indictment accuses Ma of violating the Anti-Infiltration Act, National Security Act, and Personal Data Protection Act, seeking a 44-month prison term and a fine of NTD2 million (USD63,231).

Ma, who has been in custody since January 5, faced allegations of passing information to China and receiving financial support in connection with her election campaign. The indictment points to violations of the Anti-Infiltration Act, designed to prevent interference by “foreign hostile forces” in Taiwan, as Ma allegedly accepted funds from an “infiltrative entity” to finance her election bid, according to Focus Taiwan.

The National Security Act charges stem from Ma allegedly sharing “Taiwanese intelligence and other election-related information” with her Chinese benefactors. Prosecutors claim that during a trip to China in April 2023, the 40-year-old established connections with individuals involved in Taiwan affairs. Subsequent discussions between the parties reportedly involved exchanging political intelligence on Taiwan for financial support.

Ma’s interactions continued with multiple visits between Taiwan and China, resulting in remittances, including cryptocurrency payments.

The indictment outlines transactions totaling about NTD1 million, with Ma allegedly providing a confidential book to her handlers. The book contained sensitive information such as job titles, names, and phone numbers of officials in the Presidential Office, Executive Yuan, and National Security Bureau.

Despite Ma finishing third in the election with 8.56 per cent of the vote, prosecutors assert that she received instructions from her Chinese contacts on how to conduct her campaign. The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), of which Ma was a member and Taoyuan chapter spokesperson in 2023, disassociated from her after she failed to secure official support and subsequently registered as an independent candidate.

Due to Ma’s refusal to acknowledge wrongdoing and her lack of cooperation during the investigation, the prosecutors recommended a more severe sentence to the Taoyuan District Court, where she is currently detained.

Ma’s expulsion from the TPP followed her detention on January 6, further isolating her from the party. TPP Chairman Ko Wen-je had initially considered endorsing Ma as a TPP candidate but withdrew support after she registered independently, Focus Taiwan reported. (ANI)

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