Taiwan says 3 Chinese balloons flew across island on Jan 2

Taiwan island. Taiwan map stock image/INQUIRER FILES

TAIPEI — Three Chinese balloons flew across Taiwan island on Tuesday, the Taiwanese defense ministry said, the first time it has reported them crossing the island since reporting a spate of such balloons flying over the Taiwan Strait starting last month.

The potential for China to use balloons for spying became a global issue in February 2023 when the United States shot down what it said was a Chinese surveillance balloon. China said the balloon was a civilian craft that accidentally drifted astray.

Taiwan is on high alert for Chinese activities, both military and political, ahead of Jan. 13 presidential and parliamentary elections. China claims the island as its territory.

READ: Taiwan detects two Chinese balloons in New Year

Taiwan’s defense ministry has since last month reported several instances of Chinese balloons flying over the sensitive Taiwan Strait, then crossing airspace to the island’s north before vanishing.

On Wednesday, giving its daily update for Chinese military activities over the past 24 hours, the ministry said it had detected four balloons flying over the strait, three of which flew across the island’s center.

READ: Taiwan says eight Chinese fighter jets crossed strait’s median line

It said the three flew 105 nautical miles (194 km), 160 nautical miles, and 159 nautical miles, respectively, to the southwest of Ching Chuan Kang, home to an important Taiwan air force base.

The balloons then disappeared at various points, the ministry added.

READ: Taiwan reports another suspected Chinese weather balloon crossing Taiwan Strait

It did not say what the balloons were used for, but the ministry previously said they were mostly for weather monitoring.

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