Taiwan’s ministry provides updates on Chinese military activities every 24 hours. A statement on Wednesday said four balloons were detected over the Taiwan Strait, three of which flew over the central part of the island.
One balloon arrived 200 kilometers from a major air base in Taiwan, the other two were a little further away. They subsequently disappeared in different directions.
Previously, the ministry believed that the balloons were intended to monitor the weather. The ministry declined to comment on the purpose of the latest balloons.
Ahead of Taiwan’s presidential and parliamentary elections on January 13, the island is on high alert for Chinese military and political activities, as China considers the island its territory.
Over the past four years, China has increased military activity around Taiwan, both in the air and at sea.
Since last month, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense has repeatedly reported incidents of Chinese balloons flying through Taiwan’s airspace.
China’s potential for spying via balloons became a global issue in February 2023, when the United States shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon. According to China, it was a civilian vehicle that had accidentally driven away.
Comment Read comments (1)
2024-01-03 13:27:35
taiwan-has-spotted-chinese-balloons-near-a-major-air-base