A balloon, suspected of being a Chinese weather balloon, crossed the Taiwan Strait recently, according to Taiwan’s defense ministry. This marks the third such occurrence in the month, amplifying concerns over potential spying activities by China.
What Happened: Taiwan’s defense ministry reported that a suspected Chinese weather balloon traversed the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Monday, keeping well north of Taiwan, as reported by Reuters.
Since February, apprehensions about China using balloons for espionage have been on the rise globally, after the U.S. claimed to have intercepted a Chinese surveillance balloon. China, however, negated these allegations, stating the balloon was a civilian craft that accidentally veered off course.
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Taiwan’s defense ministry detected the balloon at 9:09 a.m. GMT after it crossed the strait’s median line northwest of Keelung, a northern Taiwanese port city. The balloon, flying at an altitude of approximately 15,000 feet, headed east and vanished at 11:52 a.m. The ministry’s preliminary evaluation suggests the object was a weather balloon.
Why It Matters: This incident comes at a time when Taiwan is on high alert due to Beijing’s anticipated interference in the impending Jan. 13 presidential and parliamentary elections.
The past four years have seen an escalation in China’s military pressure against Taiwan, with Chinese warplanes and warships regularly operating around the region.
In August, mainland China aired an eight episode series featuring the People s Liberation Army indicating its military readiness for a potential conflict with Taiwan.
In February, U.S. intelligence had linked a Chinese spy balloon to a surveillance program run by China’s People’s Liberation Army, targeting several countries, including Taiwan.
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