Taiwan authorities said two Chinese balloons have crossed the median line in the strait between the two nations.
According to the defence ministry in Taipei, one balloon was spotted at 9:03 a.m. Sunday and the other at 2:43 p.m. They continued eastwards and disappeared.
On Monday, ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang told reporters on social media that initial assessments suggested the planes were used for meteorological purposes.
The US drew a median line in the body of water separating Taiwan from China in 1954 at a time of heightened tensions between Beijing and Taipei. For a long time, China did not breach the line, but has recently become involved in military aircraft flights across it, wearing down Taiwan’s sparse armed forces.
Earlier, a Chinese balloon disrupted relations between Beijing and Washington. According to the US, the aircraft was intended for surveillance, so it was shot down. China claimed it was for meteorological purposes, and Washington overreacted.
Taiwan began releasing details of the balloon sightings this month, although Sun earlier said the ministry had been noticing them for a long time. The defence ministry of the island of 23 million people, which Chinese leader Xi Jinping has vowed to take control of, previously said a Chinese balloon crossed the median line on December 7.
