Taiwan's Ministry of Defense reported that it detected three more Chinese balloons flying across the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, with one of them flying over the island, marking the second consecutive day of such sightings. The use of balloons by China for surveillance purposes became a global issue in February 2023 when the United States shot down what it described as a Chinese surveillance balloon. China claimed it was a civilian balloon that had accidentally deviated from its course.
Taiwan is on high alert for Chinese activities, both military and political, ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for January 13. It claims that China is exerting military and economic pressure to interfere in the elections. China considers the island part of its territory, which the Taiwanese government rejects.
Since last month, Taiwan's Ministry of Defense has reported several incidents of Chinese balloons flying over the critical Taiwan Strait and entering the airspace in the northern part of the island before disappearing. However, this week alone, it announced consecutive incidents of balloons actually crossing into the island. The Chinese Ministry of Defense has yet to respond to a request for comment and refused to comment on the balloons last week. Over the past four years, China has intensified military activities around Taiwan, with frequent operations of Chinese fighter jets and warships in the Taiwan Strait.
