Taiwan Detects Chinese Balloon, Aircraft Ahead of Election

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said on Friday, December 8, that it had detected a Chinese balloon crossing the so-called median line that bisects the sensitive strait separating the island from China, as tensions build before Taiwan’s presidential election in January.

Rabat – Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said on Friday, December 8, that it had detected a Chinese balloon crossing the so-called median line that bisects the sensitive strait separating the island from China, as tensions build before Taiwan’s presidential election in January.

“1 PRC [People’s Republic of China] balloon was detected at 11:52 [03:52 GMT] yesterday after crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait […] 101 nautical miles [187 kilometers] southwest of Keelung,” said the ministry.

After its detection, the ministry added, the balloon ‘headed east and disappeared at 12:55 [04:55 GMT].’ The defense ministry provided a map of the balloon’s path, beginning at the Chinese coast, and traversing close to Taiwan.

Additionally, on Thursday night, 26 fighter aircraft were detected close to the Taiwan Strait, with around 12 jets, a reconnaissance plane and a drone crossing the sensitive median line, an unofficial barrier that bisects the island of Taiwan and China, reported the Taiwan defense ministry.

The Chinese balloon was initially presumed to be a “sounding or a weather balloon that drifted toward Taiwan due to monsoon winds,” stated Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng to reporters on Friday, noting that such balloons are employed for meteorological research purposes.

Taiwan’s military monitored the situation with combat aircraft, navy vessels and land-based missile systems, the ministry said.