Ministry Of Defense Reports The Existence Of Chinese Balloons Over Taiwan Sea

JAKARTA - Taiwan's Ministry of Defense on Monday reported that a Chinese balloon had been detected over the sea north of Taiwan, for the first time since April reporting such incidents in what Taipei sees as part of Beijing's pattern of harassment.

The ministry, in its routine morning update of China's military activity over the previous 24 hours, said the single balloon was detected at 6:21 p.m. on Sunday 60 nautical miles (111 km) north of Taiwan's Keelung Port.

Then the balloon disappeared about two hours later, after flying at an altitude of 33,000 feet (10,000 meters), but did not cross Taiwan itself, the ministry said.

China's Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request for comment.

China has previously rejected Taiwan's complaint about the balloons, saying the balloons were for meteorological purposes and should not be exaggerated for political reasons.

China's potential to use balloons to spy became a global issue last year, when the United States shot down what it called a Chinese reconnaissance balloon. China says the balloon is a civilian plane that accidentally flew in the wrong direction.

Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, complained in the weeks leading up to the presidential election in January, China's balloon activity occurred at an "unprecedented scale".

They described the incident as part of a Chinese pressure campaign called a gray zone war designed to exhaust enemies, using irregular tactics without open fighting.

Taiwan strongly rejects China's claim to sovereignty, insisting only the island's people can decide their future.