Taiwan’s defence ministry said it detected 13 Chinese military aircraft and 12 naval vessels operating around the island between 6 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

The ministry said 12 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s northern and southwestern air defence identification zones.

In response, Taiwan deployed aircraft and naval ships and activated coastal missile systems to monitor the Chinese activity, Taiwan News reported.

Since the start of the month, Taiwan has recorded 271 Chinese military aircraft sorties and 196 naval movements, the ministry said. Since September 2020, China has stepped up what Taipei describes as “grey-zone” tactics by gradually increasing the presence of military aircraft and ships around the island.