Taiwan claims another eight Chinese balloons detected around island
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Five out of eight balloons have directly flown over Taiwan with one grazing the northern tip of the Island.
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Chinese dragon dancers perform at the Dongyue Temple on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year in Beijing, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024 (AP)
For the second day in a row, eight Chinese balloons were detected around Taiwan, five of which flew directly over the island, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense revealed today.
It added that the balloons were initially seen on Saturday, the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday, at a 12,000 to 35,000 feet altitude further releasing a map showing that five of the balloons flew directly over Taiwan with one grazing the northern tip.
On Friday, a group of eight balloons was also detected, the highest record since the Ministry began announcing numbers in December.
The latest balloon sightings took place after Taiwan’s presidential election last month which was won by Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), whom Beijing labeled as a dangerous "separatist" in the days leading up to the elections, urging on voters to make "the correct choice" if they want to avoid military conflict.
Before the results, China stated that Lai's win would bring “war and decline” to Taiwan.
In February last year, Taiwan's military warned aviation authorities after discovering a balloon floating in its airspace without revealing where the balloon came from or providing a detailed location.
In recent months, since the West began to further stir up geopolitical tension in the region, China has headed toward a more defensive stance by building artificial islands and deploying coast guard and maritime patrols.
China has long condemned any US engagement with Taipei as interference in its internal affairs especially the US providing weapons to Taiwan. President Xi Jinping has expressed China's aim for peaceful reunification with Taiwan, but the possibility of using force remains.
The situation around Taiwan escalated following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei last year; China considers Taiwan part of its territory and opposes any direct official foreign contact with the island.
Pelosi's visit led China to announce ending cooperation with the United States on a number of issues such as climate change, anti-drug efforts, and military talks.
