Chinese fighter jets fly near the Taiwanese coast almost daily. The People’s Republic counts the island state as part of its territory. Now Taiwan discovered a weather balloon – until it suddenly disappeared.
Taiwan’s armed forces say they have discovered a Chinese weather balloon off the coast of the East Asian island nation. The balloon crossed the middle line in the strait between Taiwan and China on Thursday and disappeared shortly afterwards, the Defense Ministry said on Friday in the capital Taipei. The agency said the aircraft was “presumably” used for measurements at 21,000 feet (about 6,400 meters), about 101 nautical miles (about 187 kilometers) southwest of Keelung.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Friday: “I am not aware of the situation and it is not a diplomatic issue.” According to Taiwan’s Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-chen, seasonal winds may have pushed the balloon so far east.
The discovery was reminiscent of the incident of a suspected Chinese spy balloon over US territory earlier this year. At the time, Beijing said it was a balloon that had drifted away for scientific purposes.
Almost daily military exercises
Taiwan reports daily on Chinese military activities off its coast. However, balloon discoveries are extremely rare in the news. China’s military exercises almost daily off the coast of Taiwan with fighter planes and warships. The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense reported on Friday that 15 jets entered the island republic’s air defense zone within 24 hours. A total of 26 military aircraft and 10 Chinese navy ships were discovered around Taiwan. Taiwan’s armed forces were monitoring the situation, it said.
For Beijing, Taiwan is a breakaway province, which dates back to the Chinese civil war between 1927 and 1949. The People’s Republic, ruled by the Communist Party, therefore counts the island as part of China’s territory, even though there is an independent government in Taipei. According to experts, China is likely to use the daily exercises to test Taiwan’s military capabilities and tire out the armed forces.
Worry about war
Internationally there is concern about war. China has already threatened to invade if “reunification” is not possible. A conflict in the region, through which important trade routes run, would have a serious impact on the global economy.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
