Taiwan spotted a total of eight Chinese balloons around the island. The Defense Ministry in Taipei said two of the balloons flew directly over the northern part of the island. The air objects had therefore reached an altitude of around 4,500 to 11,500 meters.
Democratically ruled Taiwan China claimed as its own territory despite strong objections from the government in Taipei, 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 authorities in Taipei said they will monitor the situation and respond appropriately.
Last month, the Chinese government dismissed repeated complaints from Taiwan about the balloons, saying they were for meteorological purposes and should not be played up for political reasons. 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.
China repeatedly carries out large-scale military exercises around Taiwan. The Chinese one Military invades Taiwan’s air and sea space with fighter jets, drones and ships, among other things. Taiwan, for its part, responded with an increased military presence.
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. China, 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.
Taiwan spotted a total of eight Chinese balloons around the island. The Defense Ministry in Taipei said two of the balloons flew directly over the northern part of the island. The air objects had therefore reached an altitude of around 4,500 to 11,500 meters.
Democratically ruled Taiwan China claimed as its own territory despite strong objections from the government in Taipei, 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 authorities in Taipei said they will monitor the situation and respond appropriately.