Two white balloons float near the Chinese flag as activist Rev. Patrick Mahoney protests against the Chinese government over the alleged Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot down over the US last week, during a demonstration outside the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. on February 15, 2023. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)
THE PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER | Published February 7, 2025
Taiwan detected six Chinese balloons off the island, its defense ministry said Friday, as Beijing maintains military pressure to push its claim of sovereignty.
The six balloons were spotted in the 24 hours to 6:00 am on Friday (2200 GMT Thursday), the Taiwanese ministry said, in its daily tally of Chinese military activity around the island.
Along with the balloons, nine Chinese military aircraft, six warships and two official ships were detected over the same period near Taiwan.
Chinese balloons are regularly spotted over waters near Taiwan, but Friday’s figure is one of the highest recorded, according to an AFP tally of the military data.
While Taiwan calls itself a sovereign nation, China claims the island as part of its territory.
China has threatened to use force to bring Taiwan under its control.
In recent years, China has ramped up the deployment of fighter jets and warships around the island.
China has also sought to erase Taiwan from the international stage by poaching Taiwan’s diplomatic allies and blocking it from global forums.
Taiwan is a potential flashpoint for a war between China and the United States, which is the island’s most important backer and biggest arms supplier.
While the United States is legally bound to provide arms to Taiwan, Washington has long maintained “strategic ambiguity” when it comes to deploying its military to defend the island from a Chinese attack.
However, US President Donald Trump’s transactional style of diplomacy has raised concerns about his willingness to defend the island.
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SOURCE: www.globalnation.inquirer.net
RELATED: Taiwan detects airplanes, 6 balloons from China near island
Taiwan also spotted nine Chinese military airplanes and six navy ships operating around its main island. The Taiwanese government views these actions as harassment.
China views Taiwan’s independence from the mainland as a threat (FILE: March 7, 2016)Image: Ritchie B. Tongo
DW | Published February 7, 2025
Taiwan has detected six Chinese balloons off its main island, the National Defense Ministry announced on Friday.
The balloons were sighted in the 24 hours from Thursday until 6 a.m. Friday (2200 UTC Thursday), the ministry announced in a statement as it gave one of its highest daily figures of balloon sightings.
The devices were detected flying at an altitude of 16,000 to 20,000 feet (4,876 to 6,096 meters), graphics published by the ministry on social media platform X showed.
A total of nine Chinese military aircraft, six navy ships and two official vessels were also spotted near Taiwan over the same time frame, the ministry added.
Beijing keeps up pressure on Taipei
China claims Taiwan as part of its own territory.
In recent years, Beijing has stepped up its military activities around democratically-ruled Taiwan, frequently deploying fighter jets, drones and warships.
China has also persuaded several of Taipei’s diplomatic allies to drop their support for Taiwan on promises of aid and investment.
Taiwan regularly detects Chinese balloons over its waters and has described the aerial devices as a form of “grey-zone” harassment, a maneuver that falls short of an act of war.
Beijing said it was a civilian airship blown off-course.
The number of balloons spotted on Friday is one of the highest recorded, according to an independent tally of military data done by news agency AFP.
In 2024, Taipei reported a record eight Chinese balloons shortly after the presidential elections won by the Democratic Progressive Party’s Lai Ching-te.
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SOURCE: www.dw.com
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