Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Friday it had detected a Chinese balloon crossing the so-called median line, which straddles the sensitive strait that separates the island from China, The Defense Post reports.
The ministry said, referring to a city in northern Taiwan:
1 PRC (People’s Republic of China) balloon was detected at 11:52 (0352 GMT) yesterday after crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait … 101 nautical miles (187 kilometers) southwest of Keelung. The balloon headed east and disappeared at 12:55 (0455 GMT).
The ministry attached a graphic showing the balloon travelling on a curved trajectory. On Thursday, the ministry said seven Chinese planes crossed the median line at 7.30 p.m. It said, adding that it had monitored and tasked land-based missile systems to respond:
The aircraft also conducted joint combat patrol with (Chinese) vessels.
A Friday morning report said 27 aircraft crossed the line within 24 hours.
In February, a Chinese spy balloon that flew over US territory was shot down by a US fighter jet, sparking a diplomatic row.
The huge balloon, which was carrying a large cargo of electronics, flew over secret US military facilities and raised fears that Beijing was gathering vital intelligence.
A US official said the balloon carried multiple antennas, including one capable of collecting and locating communications.
China has denied that the balloon was intended to gather intelligence and said it went off course when it entered US airspace. In June, the Pentagon concluded that the balloon was not intended to collect data.
