Taipei, TAIWAN: The Taiwan Strait witnessed the crossing of two Chinese balloons across the sensitive median line, as reported by Taiwan’s Defence Ministry on Monday.
This marks the second such sighting this month. In February, the topic of Chinese balloons became politically charged when the United States shot down a balloon it claimed was a spy device, while Beijing insisted it was a civilian airship off course.
Despite China’s increased military and political pressure on democratic Taiwan, claiming it as its territory, balloon appearances are relatively rare. The recent sightings occurred at 9.03 am and 2.43 pm on Sunday, approximately 110 nautical miles northwest of Keelung city, disappearing to the east by 09.36 and 16.35, according to Taiwan’s Defence Ministry. Initial analysis suggests these were weather balloons.
This development follows a previous sighting on Dec 8, with Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng speculating it might be a sounding or weather balloon drifting towards Taiwan due to monsoon winds, possibly for meteorological research. Taiwan is on high alert ahead of presidential elections, with Taipei and Washington cautioning against any Beijing influence. Tensions have risen since President Tsai Ing-wen’s 2016 inauguration, with China frequently deploying warplanes and vessels around the island.
