- On Monday, Taiwan mentioned it is nonetheless seeing balloons from China passing over the island.
- At least one in all these balloons crossed over Taiwan’s south utterly, the protection ministry mentioned.
- Taiwan has slammed the balloons as “cognitive warfare” waged by China.
China is not letting up on its deluge of balloons on Taiwan, sending over one other six high-altitude balloons on Sunday, in response to the island’s protection ministry.
The six balloons handed by way of Taiwan airspace at completely different hours of the day, with 5 skirting across the island’s north at altitudes of 20,000 toes and above, per a day by day replace by the Taiwanese Defense Ministry.
But a sixth handed over all the island from Sunday morning to afternoon, floating at a decrease altitude of 15,000 toes close to Pingtung City within the south, the ministry mentioned.
Four People’s Liberation Army plane and 4 vessels additionally approached the island, per the replace.
In the lead-up to Taiwan’s election in January, Taipei mentioned it had noticed dozens of Chinese balloons coming into its territory.
China hasn’t mentioned what the balloons are for or claimed duty for them.
A Chinese international ministry spokesperson instructed Axios on Wednesday that they had been “not aware of the specifics you mentioned and it’s not related to China’s foreign affairs” when requested in regards to the balloons.
But Taiwan mentioned on January 6 that China is utilizing the balloons in a marketing campaign of harassment. It referred to as them a “cognitive warfare” tactic and inspired Taiwanese folks to face them “rationally and calmly.”
Chinese high-altitude balloons had been a supply of nice stress for Washington and Beijing in early 2023 when a balloon crossed over the US mainland and was shot down over South Carolina.
The US repeatedly mentioned it discovered that the balloon was used for spying functions. China mentioned it was a civilian craft.
The Pentagon later mentioned a number of such balloons had crossed over the US earlier than.
Tensions between Taiwan and China are rising as William Lai Ching-te was elected president of the island on January 13. Lai’s get together, the Democratic Progressive Party, has lengthy campaigned on resisting China and making ready for the specter of struggle.
China’s international ministry didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from BI.