Another escalation in Chinese war games occurred with the 103 fighter jets China flew near Taiwan, 40 of which entered the island’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).

Over the past year, Beijing has repeatedly practiced encircling Taiwan with fighter jets and navy ships. In light of China’s vow to “reunite” with Taiwan, the military drills have taken on a particularly menacing tone.

Manoeuvres have so far avoided an invasion and remained in the grey zone, which is military speak for a middle ground between war and peace.

Analysts say gray zone tactics are part of Beijing’s strategy to control Taipei without firing a single shot in what has become a volatile US-China relationship. China is trying to weaken Taiwan over a prolonged period of time by employing grey zone warfare tactics, observers say.

Beijing regularly crosses Taiwan’s ADIZ to test Taipei’s ability to reinforce it, says Alessio Patalano, a professor of war and strategy in East Asia at King’s College in London.

Governments use the ADIZ to monitor foreign aircraft, even though it is self-declared and technically counts as international airspace.

Typically, Taiwan has scrambled fighter jets to warn off Chinese aircraft in its ADIZ – a response that can strain Taiwan’s resources over time.

The goal – or benefit – isn’t the only one. According to analysts, the drills allow China to test its own capabilities, such as force coordination and surveillance. The two incidents fit China’s pattern of increasing military pressure on Taiwan to test the latter’s defences and international support.