Chinese balloons cross over Taiwan for second day in a row: Military

Taipei, Jan. 3 (CNA) Another four Chinese balloons were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, with three of them later flying over the island of Taiwan, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Wednesday.

It was the second straight day that Chinese balloons were found crossing the unofficial border that separates Taiwan and China, and the ninth time they were detected since the beginning of December 2023, according to MND data.

On Monday, two balloons crossed the median line and one flew over Taiwan.

Military spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) did not say whether Taiwan's military believed the latest Chinese balloons detected were for weather or espionage purposes, but the MND has said previously that most Chinese balloons flying in the area were weather balloons.

The three balloons that were seen flying above Taiwan on Tuesday were detected crossing the median line at 105 nautical miles, 160 nautical miles and 159 nautical miles southwest of Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung at altitudes of 12,000, 18,000 and 22,000 feet.

They headed in a northeast direction and ended up flying over central Taiwan before disappearing at various points later Tuesday, the ministry said.

Asked how the military responds to these Chinese balloons, Sun told CNA that it closely monitors the balloons' movements and informs related civil aviation authorities for the sake of aviation safety.

"The nation's armed forces will respond appropriately to unidentified balloons found entering Taiwan's air space based on the level of threat they pose to Taiwan's security," he said, without elaborating.

Though Sun did not identify the purpose of the latest Chinese balloons, Taiwan's military has generally believed the balloons have been for meteorological purposes, a conclusion drawn in part by debris from a balloon it found in February 2023 around Dongyin islet.

The MND said last year that similar equipment has been detected by the military on a regular basis in the air and seas around Taiwan, most often between the months of December and February, because seasonal winds bring these balloons closer to Taiwan.

Also, in a Dec. 26 MND press briefing, Sun said that the military did not believe the Chinese balloons were directly related to Taiwan's presidential and legislative elections on Jan. 13.