This is the first since April: a Chinese balloon was detected Sunday evening near Taiwan, in the island's air defense identification zone, the Ministry of Defense announced on Monday, November 25. It was spotted at 6:21 p.m. about 70 miles (111 kilometers) northwest of the island, at an altitude of 33,000 feet (10,058 meters), before leaving the area almost two hours later, at 8:15 p.m. , according to the ministry.
In addition to the balloon, twelve fighter planes and seven warships were detected around Taiwan in twenty-four hours, between Sunday and 6 a.m. Monday. China regularly sends fighter jets, drones and warships, occasionally balloons, around Taiwan to maintain pressure on the territory over which it claims sovereignty.
During the presidential campaign before Lai Ching-te was elected president of Taiwan in January, balloons crossed the waters between Taiwan and China day and night, and some flew over the island. However, no balloon had been detected since April. Taiwan considers this practice to be a form of so-called harassment. « zone grise »that is to say hostile but not open war.
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China, for its part, denied having sent balloons over Taiwan, accusing Taipei of trying to increase tensions with the continent. The Beijing regime claims Taiwan as an integral part of its territory and does not rule out using force to take control of it.
Balloons from China became a political issue in early 2023, when the United States shot down what it called a spy balloon over its territory. The object contained numerous electronic devices and flew over U.S. military bases, sparking concerns on the American side that Beijing was seizing vital intelligence. China later said it was a civilian aircraft that had veered off course.
