China’s reconnaissance balloon crossed the central line of the Taiwan Strait again.
According to Reuters and Bloomberg News on the 18th (local time), Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense flew in from China at around 9:03 a.m. (10:03 a.m. Korean time) and 2:43 p.m. (3:43 p.m. Korean time) the previous day. Two presumed weather observation balloons said they flew east across the center line of the Taiwan Strait.
These balloons flew at an altitude of about 3230 meters and are said to have stayed in northern Taiwan.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense explained that it had been tasked with monitoring the situation and deploying appropriate forces to respond.
Sun Li-fang, a spokesman for Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, said, “According to the Ministry of National Defense’s initial judgment, these balloons were weather observation balloons.”
He added, “Taiwan began releasing details about balloon sightings this month, but the Department of Defense has been observing them for a long time.”
Previously, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense announced that a Chinese balloon was detected 187km southwest of Keelung City in northern Taiwan on the 8th, and disappeared after moving east for about an hour.
Also, on the 13th, Reuters, citing multiple Taiwanese security officials and internal documents, reported that the Chinese Navy and Air Force conducted joint maneuvers four times in Taiwan’s contiguous waters.
The analysis that this is an attempt to intervene in the election by putting military pressure on Taiwan ahead of next year’s presidential election is gaining weight.
The Taiwanese government remains on high alert against Chinese attempts to interfere in the election ahead of the presidential election in January next year.
Suspicions have been raised that the Chinese government sponsored trips to China at low prices for hundreds of incumbent Taiwanese politicians ahead of Taiwan’s presidential election.
In addition, a Chinese reconnaissance balloon crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait for two consecutive days last month, and a Chinese maritime research vessel intruded into waters near the east and west of Taiwan.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.