Military - Chinese balloons over Taiwan again: election a possible reason
Shortly before the presidential and parliamentary elections, Taiwan's military has once again discovered several suspicious Chinese balloons over its territory. One of them flew from the west over the center of the East Asian island state on Wednesday, while the other two were discovered in the west and northwest over the sea, the Ministry of Defense announced in Taipei on Thursday.
Experts suspect that the balloons could be used to intimidate the population ahead of the election. The Foreign Ministry in Beijing initially did not respond to an inquiry this morning as to what the balloons were intended for.
Balloons as intimidation?
The incidents are reminiscent of the overflight of a Chinese balloon in the USA last year. Washington accused Beijing of using it for espionage. China, on the other hand, said that the balloon had drifted and was being used for weather measurements. The USA shot the balloon out of the sky.
The recent discoveries over Taiwan could have something to do with the election on January 13."China deliberately took advantage of the favorable southwesterly wind to let such unpowered weather balloons rise and fly over Taiwan more often in order to intimidate the Taiwanese population before the election," Su Tzu-yun from the Taiwanese Institute for National Defense and Security Research told the German Press Agency. Michelle Lin from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) also said that the balloons served to intimidate the people of Taiwan.
Balloons could jeopardize aviation safety
Since Monday, Taiwan's military has sighted nine balloons over its territory. Five of them flew over the island. Su said the balloons spotted over Taiwan were similar in size to weather balloons. The one in the USA was larger. According to Su, however, the balloons could endanger aviation safety at the height at which they fly.
China is constantly intimidating Taiwan and its government. Beijing considers the island to be part of its territory, citing its history, and wants reunification, even by military means if necessary. The DPP, which is still in office, is in favor of independence. The upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections, in which 19.5 million people are expected to vote, will help decide the future relationship between Taipei and Beijing. In addition to the DPP, pro-China parties such as the Kuomintang are also running.
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- In response to these incidents, the Democratic Progressive Party's Michelle Lin agreed that the Chinese balloons were being used as a form of intimidation leading up to Taiwan's upcoming parliamentary election on January 13.
- The Taiwanese Military's recent discovery of nine balloons, including five over its territory, has raised concerns about aviation safety due to their flight altitude.
- The ministry of defense in Peking did not immediately respond to questions regarding the intent of these balloons during the parliamentary election, similar to China's response during the controversy surrounding a Chinese balloon discovered over the USA last year.
- According to Su Tzu-yun from the Taiwanese Institute for National Defense and Security Research, China may be deliberately releasing these unpowered weather balloons more frequently to intimidate the Taiwanese population before the parliamentary election.
- While Beijing continues to assert its territorial claim over Taiwan and the upcoming elections could play a significant role in determining the future relationship between Taiwan and China, various political parties such as the pro-China Kuomintang are also participating in the elections.
Source: www.stern.de
