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The defence ministry of Taiwan reported on Tuesday that no Chinese surveillance balloons had been observed in the area. This comes as concerns about escalating military tensions are raised by a dispute over spy balloons between China and the United States.
On February 4, over South Carolina, the US military fired down what it claimed to be a Chinese spy balloon.
China claimed that the balloon was a research vessel used for civilian purposes that had unintentionally veered off course, and on Monday it accused the United States of launching its spy balloons over China. That was disputed by the USA.
According to a military intelligence officer from Taiwan, the armed forces had not spotted any Chinese surveillance balloons identical to the one shot down over the United States that were flying close to the island.
The officer, Major General Huang Wen-chi, said that weather balloons did not represent a substantial security danger because “the majority of the balloons near our waterways were employed for meteorological purposes,” at a regular briefing in Taipei.
He said that any balloon posing “serious security dangers” as it approached Taiwan’s territory would be destroyed by the military, although this had not been necessary.
He continued that the balloons discovered close to Taiwan had no steering capability and were therefore unlikely to be utilized for spying.
Fears that Beijing may try to annex Taiwan by force have grown as a result of Beijing’s increased military presence near the island and its territorial claim on it.
Taiwan promises to defend itself in the event of an assault, claiming Beijing’s claims to sovereignty are invalid because the People’s Republic of China has never ruled the island.
