Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense has accused China of harassment and attempting to influence public morale by repeatedly releasing balloons over the autonomous island.
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense on Saturday accused China of harassing and attempting to lower public morale by repeatedly releasing balloons over the autonomous island.
Taiwan’s state-run military news agency said a ministry analysis found the balloon’s path posed a serious threat to international passenger flights. The ministry called for an immediate halt to this activity to ensure flight safety.
“The ministry called on the (Taiwanese) people to clearly understand the Chinese Communist Party’s cognitive warfare methods and respond rationally and calmly to avoid being influenced by them,” the report said.
The balloon’s purpose is unclear, and Chinese state media accused Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party and Taiwanese and American media of overhyping it as a harmless weather balloon. The balloon incident occurred ahead of Taiwan’s Jan. 13 presidential election, where relations with China are a key issue.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense has reported several instances of Chinese balloons flying near or over Taiwan in the past month. The agency said Saturday that two balloons were spotted over the Taiwan Strait on Friday, one 33 nautical miles off the island’s northwest coast and the other 51 nautical miles away.
China considers Taiwan, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) off China’s east coast, a rebel province that should be brought under control. Chinese leader Xi Jinping said in his New Year’s address this week that Taiwan “will definitely be unified” with China in the future.