Taiwan's defense ministry reported the detection of six Chinese balloons over a 24-hour period ending at 6 a.m. on Friday. These balloons were observed at altitudes between 16,000 and 20,000 feet, with one balloon flying directly over the island. The ministry released an illustration highlighting the trajectory of the balloon over Taiwan. This occurrence underscores the frequent sightings of Chinese balloons in the waters near the island.
The recent spotting of these balloons coincided with increased military activity near Taiwan. In the same timeframe, nine Chinese military aircraft, six warships, and two official ships were detected in proximity to the island. This marks one of the highest recordings of such activity, according to an AFP tally of military data.
Historically, Chinese balloons have been sighted in the region, with records indicating eight balloons were detected shortly after the Democratic Progressive Party's Lai Ching-te won the presidential elections last year. Taiwan has termed these persistent balloon sightings as "grey zone" harassment by China. In early 2023, a Chinese spy balloon shot down by the United States further fueled political tensions.
Taiwan maintains its stance as a sovereign nation despite China's claims over the island. Beijing has expressed its disapproval of President Lai, labeling him as a "separatist." Since Lai's ascension to power in May last year, China has conducted several major military exercises near Taiwan.
In response to these pressures, Taiwan has bolstered its defense spending in recent years, heavily relying on arms sales from the United States for deterrence against Beijing. The U.S. is legally committed to providing arms to Taiwan, though it maintains "strategic ambiguity" regarding direct military intervention.
However, Taiwan's plan to elevate its defense budget to a record NT$647 billion (US$19.7 billion) by 2025 faced challenges when opposition-controlled parliament imposed significant cuts to the national budget.
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