Taiwan's Defense Ministry reported, on Sunday, that in the past 24 hours, it identified eight Chinese fighter jets crossing the so-called median line of the Taiwan Strait, along with one Chinese balloon.

The Defense Ministry stated that Chinese J-10, J-11, and J-16 fighter jets had crossed the median line at different points in the north and center of the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan responded by deploying its forces for monitoring. Additionally, another Chinese balloon was reportedly observed in the strait, part of a series that Taiwan believes is likely used for weather monitoring due to seasonal wind patterns.

The balloon was reportedly detected crossing the median line on Saturday morning, around 97 nautical miles (180 km) northwest of Keelung, a northern Taiwanese port city. It maintained an altitude of approximately 20,000 feet (6,100 meters) while traveling eastward, disappearing about an hour later, as per the Defense Ministry.

Xi previously warned Biden Taiwan reunification would occur

NBC reported on Wednesday that Chinese President Xi Jinping told US President Joe Biden at their November summit in San Francisco that China will ultimately reunify with Taiwan, albeit on an undetermined timeline.

Last month, in their first meeting in a year, US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping shook hands and promised to keep their nations out of conflict.

Relations between the two countries have significantly deteriorated in the past years due to Washington's increasingly hostile policies against Beijing and its encroaching on its geopolitical sphere, particularly regarding Taiwan.

According to officials, Xi stated at the meeting that China supports peaceful reunification over coercion. His declaration was considered frank but not hostile.
 
Xi also stated that US military officers were mistaken in predicting that China would seek reunification with Taiwan in 2025 or 2027 since the date was not established.

According to the article, Chinese officials asked that Biden deliver a public statement after the summit stating that the US-backed China's objective of peaceful reunification rather than Taiwanese independence. The White House, however, declined the request.

At the beginning of this month, the Taiwan Affairs in the Chinese State Council spokesperson, Zhu Fenglian, stated that the United States should not intervene in the Taiwanese elections, as they are solely an internal Chinese affair. 

The Taiwanese presidential elections are set to take place on January 13, 2024, with the Democratic Progressive Party's chair, Lai Ching-Te, being nominated as the party's presidential candidate. The current Taiwanese President, Tsai Ing-wen, has been contrabanded and cannot run for the elections as she has served two consecutive terms already. 

In a news conference, Zhu said, "Taiwan's election is China's internal affair, and interference by outside forces is unacceptable," adding that US President Joe Biden has opposed "Taiwan's independence" in a clear stance, as the US made serious political commitments to Beijing on the issue of Taiwan during the US-China top-level summit in San Francisco in November. 

"The US must fulfill its promises, stop sending false signals to pro-independence forces in Taiwan, and stop interfering in Taiwan's elections," Zhu added.

It is worth noting that the US continues to send a small number of military trainers to Taiwan and militarize the island through arms sales.

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