Eight Chinese balloons have been detected around the island, with two directly over the island, just a day before the Lunar New Year holiday, Taiwan's Defense Ministry announced on Saturday.

At an altitude of 15,000 feet (4,572 meters) to 38,000 feet, the balloons are at a record of the highest number detected since the Ministry began releasing data on balloon sightings back in December.

The latest balloon sightings came after Taiwan’s presidential election last month and after Beijing slammed frontrunner Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the current Vice President, as a dangerous "separatist" in the days leading up to the poll, calling on voters to make "the correct choice" if they want to avoid military conflict.

China claims Taiwan as its own and says it will not rule out using force to bring about "unification". Chinese President Xi Jinping in a recent New Year's address said the "unification" of Taiwan with China was "inevitable".

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Before the results, China said Lai's win would bring “war and decline” to Taiwan.

In recent months, since the West began to further stir up geopolitical tension in the region, China has begun to adopt a more defensive stance by building artificial islands and deploying coast guard and maritime patrols.

Read next: Taiwan reunification is inevitable: China's Xi

China has long condemned any US engagement with Taipei as interference in its internal affairs. President Xi Jinping has expressed China's aim for peaceful reunification with Taiwan, but the possibility of using force remains.

In 2022, US President Joe Biden committed to defending Taiwan in the event of an unprecedented attack while claiming that the US does not advocate for the island's independence.