Highlights: Eight Chinese balloons flew over Taiwan two days in a row. Five of the eight balloons flew directly over Taiwan from east to west, a sixth grazed the northern tip of the island. The aircraft were all spotted on Saturday, the Lunar New Year celebrated on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, at an altitude between 3,600 and 10,700 m. Beijing considers the island of Taiwan as part of its territory and has never renounced using force to regain control. The provocations come as Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party won the presidential elections just a month ago.

Chinese provocations continue around Taiwan and are taking on a new dimension: the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense claimed this Sunday to have detected eight Chinese balloons around Taiwan...

Eight Chinese balloons flew over Taiwan two days in a row

Chinese provocations continue around Taiwan and are taking on a new dimension: the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense claimed this Sunday to have detected eight Chinese balloons around Taiwan for the second consecutive day, the weekend when on both sides of the strait, celebrates the Lunar New Year. Beijing considers the island of Taiwan as part of its territory and has never renounced using force to regain control.

White balloons near a Chinese flag during a demonstration in front of the Chinese embassy in the United States, February 15, 2023. AFP - SAUL LOEB

By: RFI Follow

Five of the eight balloons flew directly over Taiwan from east to west, a sixth grazed the northern tip of the island, as shown on the map published by the Ministry of Defense. The aircraft were all spotted on Saturday, the Lunar New Year celebrated on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, at an altitude between 3,600 and 10,700 m, according to the same source. Already the day before, the ministry had announced a record number of aircraft. In February 2023, the Taiwanese army alerted aviation authorities after detecting a balloon flying over Taiwan's airspace, but did not communicate either the origin of the aircraft or its exact location.

Chinese provocations

Beijing is definitely not a provocation on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, the army also published a video as a good wish, featuring warships and combat planes around Taiwan, with in the background a song praising reunification with the Chinese continent. And on January 30, China took the liberty of changing its M503 air corridor without first consulting the Taiwanese authorities. Chinese commercial planes will now pass closer to the Taiwanese coast, which worries Taipei.

These provocations come as

Lai Ching-te

of the Democratic Progressive Party won the presidential elections just a month ago – a “

dangerous separatist

" in the eyes of Beijing which had warned that a Lai victory would lead Taiwan to "

war

” and “

decline

Read alsoTaiwan: after Lai Ching-te’s victory, “it is possible that China will increase the pressure”

Eight Chinese balloons flew over Taiwan two days in a row

Eight Chinese balloons flew over Taiwan two days in a row

Chinese provocations

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