Taiwan accuses China of intimidation through balloon flights over 8 tons of cocaine – record drug discovery in Bolivia

After several overflights of suspected Chinese balloons, Taiwan accused Beijing of trying to intimidate the population. The Chinese actions are a “gray zone tactic” intended to influence the morale of the population, the Ministry of Defense announced in Taipei on Saturday. Taiwan also sees the balloons as a threat to flight safety in the strait between Taiwan and China. “We demand an immediate end to this practice to ensure the safety of regional aviation,” the ministry said. The backdrop could be the upcoming elections in Taiwan on January 13.

The military regularly reports on the activities of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army around Taiwan. Almost every day, fighter jets fly over the unofficial center line in the strait or penetrate the air defense zone. The Taiwanese military must respond. What is new is that balloons, such as those used for weather measurements, have been floating above Taiwan since December. The discoveries are reminiscent of a Chinese balloon that appeared over the United States just over a year ago. Washington accused China of espionage. Beijing said it was a research balloon that had floated away.

Chinese balloons fly over Taiwan every day

According to an expert, the balloons above Taiwan are smaller than those above the United States. Since January 1, the army has discovered several of them in its area every day. Six flew over the island during this period, the remaining six flew over the sea along the north coast. The benefits of air vehicles are still unclear. Beijing has not yet responded to this when asked. Taipei said two balloons also traveled in Taiwan on Friday. The army also had 13 fighter aircraft and 5 warships.

In Taiwan, many suspect that the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections are the reason for the Chinese actions. At campaign rallies, politicians encouraged people not to be influenced by China’s psychological warfare. Beijing claims Taiwan as its own country, even though the country of more than 23 million inhabitants has had a democratically elected government for decades. China wants reunification, if necessary by military means.

(yam/sda/dpa)