Chinese “spy balloons” were reportedly spotted flying near Taiwan on Sunday, the island Beijing has repeatedly threatened to invade. It comes amid fears that President Xi Jinping could ramp up a campaign of “coercion” and “intimidation” ahead of Taiwan’s upcoming elections.
According to the country’s defense ministry, the balloons were spotted crossing north of the territory 110 nautical miles (204 kilometers) northwest of Keelung – a northern port city.
They reportedly flew across the Taiwan Strait, a body of water separating the island from China, on Sunday.
It marks the second time this month the alarm has been raised over Chinese balloons after another was seen flying near its territory on December 7.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry did not specify whether the balloons were being used for surveillance purposes.
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But it comes as the Taiwanese head to the polls next month for an election on January 13.
Washington has urged Beijing to act responsibly amid fears of “intimidation” and coercion” during the democratic process.
Nicholas Burns, US Ambassador to China, said over the weekend: “Our strong expectation and hope is that those elections be free of intimidation, or coercion, or interference from all sides.”
While Taiwan is independently governed, Beijing has repeatedly threatened to take back the territory it lost following a civil war in 1949.
The US has thrown its weight behind Taiwan, with Congress approving a $330 million sale of equipment to Taipei earlier this year to help maintain its tactical information system and strengthen its defences.
This has not stopped China from launching a series of military incursions in the Taiwan Strait over the last year, sending tensions soaring.
In 2022, China had the largest armed forces in the world, with about two million active soldiers.
It has also waged a campaign of espionage in western countries, including the US.
In January 2023, a Chinese spy balloon was spotted flying across the US and it was allegedly able to gather intelligence from a number of sensitive American military sites.
That is according to two senior US officials and one former senior administration, NBC News reported back in April.
China insisted the balloon was an unmanned civilian airship that accidentally flew off course.
It also accused the US of overreacting after the balloon was quickly shot down.
But spy balloons have been used by armies to gather intelligence for hundreds of years.
They operate above 60,000 feet (18,000 metres) which is much higher than most aeroplanes. They are considered a low-cost way to observe an area over several days.
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