2024-01-04 07:11:31
Shortly before the presidential and parliamentary elections, Taiwan’s military has once more discovered several suspicious Chinese balloons over its territory. One of them flew yesterday from the west over the center of the East Asian island state, the other two were discovered in the west and northwest over the sea, the Ministry of Defense announced today in Taipei.
Experts suspect that the balloons might be used to intimidate the population before the election. The Foreign Ministry in Beijing did not initially respond to a request this morning (local time) regarding what was intended with the balloons.
Expert: Intimidate the population before voting
The incidents are reminiscent of the overflight of a Chinese balloon in the USA last year. Washington accused Beijing of using it for espionage. China, however, said the balloon had drifted and was used to measure weather. The USA shot the aircraft out of the sky.
Beijing: Taiwan Chinese territory
Beijing counts the island as part of its national territory, citing history, and wants reunification, if necessary with military means. The DPP, which is still in office, stands for independence. The upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections, in which 19.5 million people are expected to vote, will have a say in the future relationship between Taipei and Beijing. In addition to the DPP, China-friendly parties such as the Kuomintang are also running.
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