TAIPEI, Taiwan: Taipei’s defence ministry reported a record eight Chinese balloons detected around Taiwan, with two directly crossing over the island’s airspace, heightening regional tensions.
The balloons were observed on Friday, just before the Lunar New Year holiday, flying at altitudes ranging from 15,000 feet to 38,000 feet. This marked the highest number of balloon sightings since the ministry began regularly releasing data in December.
China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, has intensified military pressure in recent years and frequently conducts aerial and naval maneuvers near the island. Taiwan’s military has remained vigilant, alerting aviation authorities to any airspace violations.
The surge in balloon activity follows Taiwan’s presidential election last month, won by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing considers a “separatist.” Prior to the election, China issued warnings of potential conflict if Lai were to win, although it refrained from large-scale military deployments immediately after the vote.
Despite this, Taiwan has reported significant Chinese military activity in recent weeks, including the detection of 33 warplanes around the island since the election. The largest incursion occurred in September, with Taiwan recording 103 Chinese aircraft in a single 24-hour period.
