China’s Balloons Are Back. This Time They Are Over Taiwan.
TAIPEI—Nearly a year after the appearance of a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the U.S. sent relations between Beijing and Washington into free fall, high-altitude balloons from China have again been spotted floating over sensitive territory. This time, it is the main island of self-ruled Taiwan, which is days away from holding a presidential election with ramifications for the future of U.S.-China relations.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said it detected a Chinese balloon flying over the island on Monday, followed by three more balloons on Tuesday. The ministry has previously noted Chinese balloons floating near the island, but this is the first time authorities have reported the balloons crossing over it. Maj.
Gen. Sun Li-fang, a spokesman for the ministry, said Tuesday that the balloons appeared to be the kind designed to collect atmospheric data. “As for whether they have other purposes," he said, the ministry “is closely monitoring and controlling the situation, taking appropriate measures, and summarizing their flight paths for judgment and analysis." The ministry didn’t respond to a question about whether it considered the balloons’ flight paths a violation of Taiwanese airspace.
The appearance of a Chinese balloon over the U.S. in late January last year ignited a furor in Washington and torpedoed diplomatic efforts to stabilize ties with Beijing. China’s government described it as a weather balloon that had been blown off course and slammed President Biden’s decision to shoot it down.
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