Taiwan defence ministry cites 5 Chinese balloons detected crossing Taiwan Strait median line

Anjali Sharma

GG News Bureau
WASHINGTON DC, 12th Feb. According to Taiwan Ministry of National Defence on Sunday reported that 5 Chinese balloons flew at altitudes ranging from 15,000 feet to 38,000 feet, according to the MND.

Central News Agency Taiwan reported quoted the Ministry of National Defence that 8 Chinese balloons were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Friday, the most in a single day to date, with two of them later flying over Taiwan.

According to the report, 5 of the 8 balloons crossed the median line at points ranged from 68 nautical miles northwest of Keelung to 92 nautical miles west of the port city, while two crossed the line 55-65 nautical miles from Taichung and crossed the line closer to southern Taiwan.

According to an MND chart of the balloons’ paths the 4^th balloon made its way across the median line at 8 am, flew over central Taiwan before disappeared above the island at 9.52 am

Central News Agency Taiwan reported that the 6^th balloon crossed the median line at 10:41 a.m., flew over the northern part of Taiwan before disappeared at 12:32 p.m. above waters to the east of Taiwan, the MND said.

Taiwan’s military did not make any comment on the type of balloons involved nor did it speculate on why Beijing sent eight balloons across the median line in a single day.

The MND stated that 2 military aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles also crossed Taiwan’s median line between 6 a.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday.

The median line in the Taiwan Strait served for many years as a tacit border between the two sides, but China’s military has more freely sent aircraft, drones, and balloons across it over the past 18 months, since former United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022.