TAIPEI, Nov 25 - Taiwan's defense ministry announced the detection of a Chinese balloon over the sea to the north of Taiwan, marking the first such incident reported since April. This event is seen by Taipei as part of an ongoing pattern of harassment from Beijing.
In the lead-up to Taiwan's presidential election scheduled for January, the ministry indicated that Chinese balloon activity had reached an 'unprecedented scale.' It characterized these incidents as part of a pressure campaign, often referred to as grey-zone warfare, aimed at exhausting the opponent through irregular tactics without engaging in open conflict.
Taiwan continues to reject China's sovereignty claims, asserting that only its people have the right to determine their future. The balloon was detected at 6:21 p.m. local time on Sunday, approximately 60 nautical miles (111 km) north of Keelung port, before disappearing roughly two hours later. It was reported to have flown at an altitude of 33,000 feet (10,000 meters) without entering Taiwanese airspace.
China's defense ministry has not commented on the incident. Previously, Beijing dismissed Taiwan's allegations regarding balloon activities, claiming they were intended for meteorological purposes and should not be politicized.
The global implications of Chinese balloon activity were highlighted last year when the United States shot down what it identified as a Chinese surveillance balloon, which China claimed was a civilian craft that had strayed off course.