World

Taiwan Detects 8 Chinese Balloons Around Island

On Saturday, Taipei’s defence ministry stated that eight Chinese balloons have been detected around Taiwan, with two directly flying over the island.

According to the ministry, the balloons were sighted on Friday, the day before the start of the Lunar New Year holiday, at an altitude ranging from 15,000 feet (4,572 metres) to 38,000 feet.

It was the largest number discovered since the ministry began regularly reporting data on balloon sightings in December.

China claims democratic Taiwan as its territory and has never renounced using force to seize control of the self-governing island.

Beijing has increased military pressure in recent years, deploying warplanes and navy vessels around the island almost daily.

In February of last year, Taiwan’s military notified aviation authorities after detecting a balloon floating in the island’s airspace but did not specify where the balloon originated or where it was located.

The most recent balloon sightings followed Taiwan’s presidential election last month, which was won by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing sees as a separatist.

China warned before the poll that a victory for Lai would bring war and decline to Taiwan.

However, it did not send an excessive number of warplanes and naval vessels immediately following the election.

As per Taipei, the largest incursion since the January 13 vote has included 33 Chinese warplanes observed around Taiwan.

The most warplanes China sent in 24 hours occurred in September when Taiwan detected 103 Chinese aircraft around the island.

Also Read: Travel Push: Malawi Waives Visa For 79 Countries

Spriha Rai

Recent Posts

PM Modi Pays Tribute To Acharya Vidyanand Ji Maharaj On His Centenary Year

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the centenary celebrations of Acharya Vidyanand Ji Maharaj at Vigyan…

9 mins ago

Ram Temple In Ayodhya Draws Over 55 Million Devotees Since Consecration

Since the consecration of Lord Ram at the Ram Temple on January 22, 2024, Ayodhya…

11 mins ago

Over 70% Of Indian Startups Now Rely On AI For Core Business Functions: Meta Report

India’s startup ecosystem is witnessing a major shift, with over 70% of startups now integrating…

23 mins ago

India’s Economic Outlook Remains Positive Amid Global Headwinds: Finance Ministry

India’s economic outlook remains positive in the face of global turbulence, according to the Ministry…

25 mins ago

Govt’s Infrastructure Drive Spurs Manufacturing Confidence, Says Report

A Cushman & Wakefield report says 88% of Indian manufacturers made investment decisions influenced by…

38 mins ago

Agricultural Output Grew 54.6% Over 12 Years; Reveals NSO Report

The NSO has reported a 54.6% rise in the Gross Value of Output from agriculture…

49 mins ago