A Chinese spy balloon has been detected above the sensitive waters of the Taiwan Strait before disappearing, Taiwan's Defense Ministry said Thursday.
The episode, reminiscent of the high-altitude reconnaissance balloon seen over the U.S. earlier this year, comes amid heightened regional tensions and sparked renewed concerns about China's surveillance activities.
The U.S., which said the Chinese spy balloon had violated American territorial sovereignty, shot down the craft off the South Carolina coast in early February. Beijing said it was an errant weather device.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry said it detected the surveillance balloon at 11:52 a.m. local time, approximately 101 nautical miles southwest of the northern port city of Keelung, at an altitude of 21,000 feet.
"The balloon headed east and disappeared at 12:55 [p.m.]," the ministry said.
The suspected surveillance craft, which the island's semi-official Central News Agency said first appeared off China's southeastern coast, traveled eastward for about an hour, crossing the strait's median line.
Ben Lewis, an independent defense analyst who tracks regular warplane sorties by the Chinese People's Liberation Army into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ)—a buffer area declared over international airspace—said it was the first time a balloon had appeared in Taipei's daily reports on activity within the ADIZ.
A map released by the ministry illustrated the balloon's irregular flight path with a dashed line.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, although the Chinese Communist Party has never governed the democratically ruled island during its seven decades in power in Beijing.
This incident coincides with an increase in Chinese military pressure on Taiwan. "Of the 26 military aircraft detected, 15 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered the southwestern and southeastern parts of Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ)," said Taiwan's Ministry Of National Defence.
In response, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning said: "I have no information on the trip," but added, "China has no intention of violating the territory and airspace of any sovereign country." She called for calm and a thorough investigation of the facts.
This surveillance balloon episode in the Taiwan Strait draws parallels to the high-profile incident earlier in February 2023 when a Chinese balloon was detected over the U.S., leading to a diplomatic standoff.
The U.S. State Department officials were forthright in their condemnation: "We have noted the PRC [People's Republic of China] statement of regret, but the presence of this balloon in our airspace is a clear violation of our sovereignty and international law. And it is unacceptable that this has occurred."
These incidents reflect China's expanding surveillance efforts and raise alarms about its regional intentions. Taiwan, which China claims, remains vigilant against frequent intrusions by Chinese military planes into its ADIZ.
In September, U.S. officials said that they hadn't seen China launch a new balloon since the shooting incident over the U.S. airspace.
"American officials said on Friday that China had paused its spy balloon operations after one of the craft floated across much of the United States early this year and was shot down off the coast of South Carolina, setting off a diplomatic crisis between the rival powers" the New York Times reported in September.
In response, the Chinese foreign ministry also said in February that more than 10 U.S. balloons had flown over Chinese territory since January 2022.
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About the writer
Aadil Brar is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers international security, U.S.-China relations, and East Asian ... Read more
