China is threatening aviation safety and waging psychological warfare on the Taiwanese public with a spate of balloons spotted near or over Taiwan ahead of Saturday’s presidential and legislative elections, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday.
The potential for China to use balloons for spying became a global issue in February last year when the US shot down what it said was a Chinese surveillance balloon.
China said the balloon was a civilian craft that accidentally drifted astray.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of National Defense
Taiwan is on high alert for Chinese military and political activity ahead of the elections.
Taipei said China is exerting military and economic pressure in an attempt to interfere in the vote.
Since last month the ministry has reported several instances of Chinese balloons flying over the Taiwan Strait.
It said this week that some balloons had floated over Taiwan proper near major air bases.
The balloons were a “serious threat” to international aviation safety given their flight paths, it said in a statement yesterday.
“We also express our condemnation of the Chinese communists’ disregard for aviation safety and its disregard for the safety of passengers on cross-strait and international flights,” it said.
The ministry said that its analysis was that the balloons were part of China’s “gray zone” tactics against Taiwan “in an attempt to use cognitive warfare to affect the morale of our people.”
Asked whether it has shot down any of the balloons or intends to do so, the ministry said it would respond according to the altitude and possible purpose of airborne objects and the level of threat they pose.
So far, it has taken appropriate measures according to the “rules on responding to contingencies during normal times,” it said.
Calls seeking comment to the Chinese Ministry of National Defence, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office and the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration were not answered yesterday outside of work hours.
China’s defence ministry last week declined to comment on the balloons at a monthly news conference.
In a separate statement yesterday, the Ministry of Defense said that during the previous 24 hours it had detected two more Chinese balloons, one of which briefly flew over the far northern tip of the nation.
It said it thought the balloons were mostly for weather monitoring, driven by prevailing winds at this time of year, and the comments on them being part of China’s “gray zone” activities are stronger than previous statements.
A Western security source, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media, said that China was sending a very simple pre-election message to Taiwan with the balloons.
“We are watching you closely and you can’t hide,” the source said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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