Conflicts
Ministry: Taiwan sights eight Chinese balloons
The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense reports eight Chinese balloons around Taiwan. photo
© Uncredited/Taiwan Ministry of National Defense/AP/dpa
Never before has Taiwan’s military recorded so many balloons from China in a single day. The exact purpose of the flying objects is unclear.
Taiwan has been monitoring flight movements with systematic measurements since December. Their exact purpose is controversial. Taiwan sees the balloon flights as part of China’s psychological warfare. The Ministry of Defense in Taipei says they will monitor the situation and respond appropriately.
A year ago, a Chinese balloon flew over the USA before it was shot down by the American military. At the time, the US government accused China of using the balloon for espionage purposes. Beijing, on the other hand, spoke of a weather balloon for meteorological measurements. In June 2023, the US Department of Defense announced that the balloon had presumably not collected any data.
The Chinese government views Taiwan, which has been governed democratically for decades, as a breakaway province. Most recently, President Xi Jinping announced in his New Year’s address that Taiwan and China would “certainly” be reunified.