Taiwan reports six Chinese balloons, one of which landed on the island

Taiwan reports six Chinese balloons, one of which landed on the island

Kyiv  •  UNN

January 22 2024, 03:40 AM • 24766 views

Taiwan's Ministry of Defense has detected six Chinese balloons flying over the Taiwan Strait. This comes after China's alleged use of spy balloons became a global issue last year.

Taiwan's Ministry of Defense said it had detected six more Chinese balloons flying over the Taiwan Strait on Sunday, one of which crossed the island. This was reported by Reuters, according to UNN.

Details

Earlier this month, the ministry in a strongly worded statement accused China of threatening aviation safety and waging psychological warfare against the island's residents with balloons days before Taiwan's January 13 election.

China's Defense Ministry, which last month declined to comment on the balloons, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China considers Taiwan its territory, despite strong denials from the government in Taipei.

The middle line of the Taiwan Strait used to serve as an unofficial barrier between Taiwan and China, but Chinese fighter jets, drones, and now balloons regularly fly over it.

China says it does not recognize the existence of a middle line.

Addendum Addendum

The possibility of China using balloons for espionage became a global issue last February when the United States shot down what it said was a Chinese surveillance balloon. China claimed the balloon was a civilian vessel that had accidentally gotten lost.