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The
potential for China to use balloons for spying became a global
issue in February when the United States shot down what it said
was a Chinese surveillance balloon. China said the balloon was a
civilian craft that accidentally drifted astray.
Taiwan is on high alert for Chinese activities, both military
and political, ahead of Jan. 13 presidential and parliamentary
elections. Taipei has warned that Beijing may try to interfere
to get voters to pick candidates China may prefer.
Taiwan's defense ministry has so far this month reported four
instances of Chinese balloons flying over the sensitive Taiwan
Strait, then crossing airspace to the island's north before
vanishing.
Speaking to reporters, defense ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang
said that from October to March Chinese balloons are more
regularly spotted due to the winds at that time of year.
"Generally speaking most of the ones we have spotted so far are
weather balloons," he said. "They are from mainland China, and
not necessarily from the People's Liberation Army."
The ministry will "handle" Chinese balloons depending on the
threat assessment level, but what exactly that entails is
secret, Sun added.
The ministry will announce it if the balloons are for
surveillance purposes, but it is so far not possible to judge
whether the balloons seen at the moment are connected to the
election, he said.
The ministry has said the balloons it has spotted this month
disappeared after flying north of Taiwan. Sun said the balloons
may disintegrate at a certain altitude or simply vanish from the
area the military keeps watch over.
China's defense ministry has not responded to several requests
for comment on the balloons.
Lo Yong-chang from the Taiwan defense ministry's joint
operations department added that between Jan. 12 and Jan. 14,
during the election period, the military would go on higher
alert as it has done during previous votes.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Jacqueline Wong, Gerry
Doyle and Michael Perry)
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