<p>Two suspected Chinese weather balloons flew across the sensitive&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;Strait on Sunday but stayed well to the north of&nbsp;Taiwan, the island's defence ministry said on Monday, the second time this month Taipei has reported them nearby.</p>

<p>The potential for China to use balloons for spying became a global issue in February when the United States shot down what it said was a Chinese surveillance balloon, but which China said was a civilian craft that accidentally drifted astray.</p>

<p>Taiwan&nbsp;is on high alert for Chinese activities, both military and political, ahead of the Jan. 13 presidential and parliamentary election. Taipei has warned of Beijing's efforts to interfere in the ballot to get voters to pick candidates China may prefer.</p>

<p>Taiwan's defence ministry said the two balloons were detected at 9:03 a.m. (0103GMT) and 2:43 p.m. (0643GMT) after crossing the strait's median 110 nautical miles (204 km)northwest of the northern&nbsp;Taiwanese port city of Keelung.</p>

<p>The balloons flew at an altitude of about 27,000 feet (3,230 metres), headed east and disappeared at 9:36 am&nbsp;and 4:35 pm&nbsp;respectively, the ministry added.</p>

<p>The ministry's initial judgment is that they were weather balloons, spokesperson Sun Li-fang said.</p>

<p>China's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</p>

<p>The earlier balloon, which&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;reported crossing the&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;Strait on Dec. 7, was most likely also a weather platform,&nbsp;Taiwan's defence ministry said at the time, adding that officials had announced its detection in the interests of transparency.</p>


Two suspected Chinese weather balloons flew across the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Sunday but stayed well to the north of Taiwan, the island's defence ministry said on Monday, the second time this month Taipei has reported them nearby.

Two suspected Chinese weather balloons flew across the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Sunday but stayed well to the north of Taiwan, the island's defence ministry said on Monday, the second time this month Taipei has reported them nearby. The potential for China to use balloons for spying became a global issue in February when the United States shot down what it said was a Chinese surveillance balloon, but which China said was a civilian craft that accidentally drifted astray. Taiwan is on high alert for Chinese activities, both military and political, ahead of the Jan. 13 presidential and parliamentary election. Taipei has warned of Beijing's efforts to interfere in the ballot to get voters to pick candidates China may prefer. Taiwan's defence ministry said the two balloons were detected at 9:03 a.m. (0103GMT) and 2:43 p.m. (0643GMT) after crossing the strait's median 110 nautical miles (204 km)northwest of the northern Taiwanese port city of Keelung. The balloons flew at an altitude of about 27,000 feet (3,230 metres), headed east and disappeared at 9:36 am and 4:35 pm respectively, the ministry added. The ministry's initial judgment is that they were weather balloons, spokesperson Sun Li-fang said. China's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The earlier balloon, which Taiwan reported crossing the Taiwan Strait on Dec. 7, was most likely also a weather platform, Taiwan's defence ministry said at the time, adding that officials had announced its detection in the interests of transparency.

Taiwan reports more suspected Chinese weather balloons crossing Taiwan Strait

<p>Three Chinese ships, including the aircraft carrier Shandong, crossed the Taiwan Strait on Saturday, stated the island's Ministry of National Defence.<br />
<br />
"A (People's Liberation Army Navy) flotilla of three ships, led by the Shangdong aircraft carrier, passed through the Taiwan Strait around noon today... to the west of the median line, heading northward," the ministry said in a statement while speaking about the unofficial border in the middle of the strait.<br />
<br />
The allegations are the latest uptick in the escalating military tensions over the island which Beijing claims as its own territory.<br />
<br />
The ministry stated that the Shandong, which was commissioned in 2019, sailed around midday in a northerly direction through the strait sticking to its median line, which marks the unofficial barrier between the two countries.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-invasion-of-taiwan-as-early-as-2025-could-cost-world-economy-1-trillion-report-590288">Chinese invasion of Taiwan as early as 2025 could cost world economy $1 trillion: Report</a></p>

<p>The military of Taiwan closely monitored the group, which was using its own aircraft and ships, and "responded appropriately", said the ministry in a short statement.</p>

<p>Taiwan's armed forces "have monitored the situation and tasked (civil air patrol) aircraft, navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond to these activities," the ministry stated.</p>

<p>The defence ministry of China did not respond to the allegations and the armed forces of the country did not mention about any sailing on their official social media channels.<br />
<br />
Last month, the Shandong participated in the Chinese military drills around Taiwan, operating in the western Pacific. In March 2022, the Shandong sailed across Taiwan Strait, just hours before the US and Chinese presidents were due to talk.</p>

<h2><strong>China’s unending military activities</strong></h2>

<p>China's military activities have continued on a smaller scale around Taiwan after its war games formally ended last month.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;China's territorial ambitions, claims over Taiwan</strong></p>

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<p>On Saturday, Taiwan's defence ministry had stated that eight Chinese fighter jets had passed through the strait's median line in a time span of 24 hours, something that the Chinese warplanes have been doing regularly since they held their earlier war games last August.<br />
<br />
China has never given up on the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.<br />
<br />
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's government strongly rejects the sovereignty claims of Beijing and says that only the people of the island can decide their future.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The officials had last time reported in March 2022 that the Shandong had sailed through the Taiwan Strait. This happened right before China's Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden held talks over a phone call.</p>

<p>In December 2020, the carrier transited, a day after a US warship had passed through. In December 2019, Shandong also made a sail-by, weeks before Taiwanese voters went to the polls.</p>

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Three Chinese ships, including the aircraft carrier Shandong, crossed the Taiwan Strait on Saturday, stated the island's Ministry of National Defence. "A (People's Liberation Army Navy) flotilla of three ships, led by the Shangdong aircraft carrier, passed through the Taiwan Strait around noon today.

Three Chinese ships, including the aircraft carrier Shandong, crossed the Taiwan Strait on Saturday, stated the island's Ministry of National Defence. "A (People's Liberation Army Navy) flotilla of three ships, led by the Shangdong aircraft carrier, passed through the Taiwan Strait around noon today... to the west of the median line, heading northward," the ministry said in a statement while speaking about the unofficial border in the middle of the strait. The allegations are the latest uptick in the escalating military tensions over the island which Beijing claims as its own territory. The ministry stated that the Shandong, which was commissioned in 2019, sailed around midday in a northerly direction through the strait sticking to its median line, which marks the unofficial barrier between the two countries. ALSO READ | Chinese invasion of Taiwan as early as 2025 could cost world economy $1 trillion: Report The military of Taiwan closely monitored the group, which was using its own aircraft and ships, and "responded appropriately", said the ministry in a short statement. Taiwan's armed forces "have monitored the situation and tasked (civil air patrol) aircraft, navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond to these activities," the ministry stated. The defence ministry of China did not respond to the allegations and the armed forces of the country did not mention about any sailing on their official social media channels. Last month, the Shandong participated in the Chinese military drills around Taiwan, operating in the western Pacific. In March 2022, the Shandong sailed across Taiwan Strait, just hours before the US and Chinese presidents were due to talk. China’s unending military activities China's military activities have continued on a smaller scale around Taiwan after its war games formally ended last month. WATCH | China's territorial ambitions, claims over Taiwan On Saturday, Taiwan's defence ministry had stated that eight Chinese fighter jets had passed through the strait's median line in a time span of 24 hours, something that the Chinese warplanes have been doing regularly since they held their earlier war games last August. China has never given up on the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's government strongly rejects the sovereignty claims of Beijing and says that only the people of the island can decide their future. The officials had last time reported in March 2022 that the Shandong had sailed through the Taiwan Strait. This happened right before China's Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden held talks over a phone call. In December 2020, the carrier transited, a day after a US warship had passed through. In December 2019, Shandong also made a sail-by, weeks before Taiwanese voters went to the polls. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong, two other ships sail through Taiwan Strait: Report

<p>Taiwan's defence ministry said on Sunday that two Chinese fighter jets crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait again.</p>

<p>According to Taiwan's defence ministry, a total of four Chinese aircraft and five Chinese ships are&nbsp;operating around Taipei.</p>

<p>The fresh incursion comes after the Biden administration&nbsp;announced a more than $1 billion arms sale to Taiwan.</p>

<p>China had stepped up military drills near Taiwan following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei.</p>

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<p>Since her visit last month, the acrimony and strident rhetoric between the US and China over Taiwan have increased sharply.</p>

<p>In an incident that underscored the heightened tensions,&nbsp;Taiwan’s military said it had shot down a drone hovering over one of its island outposts just off the Chinese coast on Thursday.</p>

<p>China, which claims Taiwan is a part of its territory, has launched a show of force that could be a trial run for a future invasion.</p>

<p>After the civil war in 1949, China and Taiwan split with Beijing, cutting off informal contacts in 2016 following the election of independence-leaning Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.</p>

<p>Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, experts have raised questions on whether China may follow suit in Taiwan and whether the island is equipped to defend itself.</p>

<p>Pushing for a strengthening of anti-drone defences as part of a 12.9 per cent increase in its annual budget, Tsai’s administration has warned off drones hovering over three islands occupied by Taiwan.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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Taiwan's defence ministry said on Sunday that two Chinese fighter jets crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait again. According to Taiwan's defence ministry, a total of four Chinese aircraft and five Chinese ships are operating around Taipei.

Taiwan's defence ministry said on Sunday that two Chinese fighter jets crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait again. According to Taiwan's defence ministry, a total of four Chinese aircraft and five Chinese ships are operating around Taipei. The fresh incursion comes after the Biden administration announced a more than $1 billion arms sale to Taiwan. China had stepped up military drills near Taiwan following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei. × Since her visit last month, the acrimony and strident rhetoric between the US and China over Taiwan have increased sharply. In an incident that underscored the heightened tensions, Taiwan’s military said it had shot down a drone hovering over one of its island outposts just off the Chinese coast on Thursday. China, which claims Taiwan is a part of its territory, has launched a show of force that could be a trial run for a future invasion. After the civil war in 1949, China and Taiwan split with Beijing, cutting off informal contacts in 2016 following the election of independence-leaning Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, experts have raised questions on whether China may follow suit in Taiwan and whether the island is equipped to defend itself. Pushing for a strengthening of anti-drone defences as part of a 12.9 per cent increase in its annual budget, Tsai’s administration has warned off drones hovering over three islands occupied by Taiwan. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here: ×

Two Chinese fighters cross Taiwan Strait median line again, says Taiwan's defence ministry

<p>The Chinese navy on Sunday kept a close watch as two American warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait, separating China and Taiwan, the first such operation since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei early this month, sparking a new round of tensions between the two countries.</p>

<p>The US warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait where the Chinese military carried out its biggest exercises for several days in August, often crossing the median line that separated the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, which Beijing viciously claims as part of it.</p>

<p>"The USS Antietam and the USS Chancellorsville, two US guided-missile cruisers, sailed through the Taiwan Strait on August 28 and hyped it up publicly," the Eastern Theatre Command (ETC) of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) said on Sunday.</p>

<p>The ETC conducted security tracking and monitoring of the US warships' passage in the whole course and had all movements of the two US warships under control, Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson for the ETC, said in a statement.</p>

<p>The troops of the PLA Eastern Theatre Command always stay on high alert and get ready to thwart any provocation, he added.</p>

<p>Criticising the American naval ships' transit through Taiwan Strait, a write-up in the state-run Global Times said the "US is trying to appease the Taiwan authorities and regional allies, conveying to them that Washington will not back down under military pressure from the Chinese mainland."</p>

<p>This is the first time the US warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait, a busy and strategic waterway separating China and Taiwan, after Pelosi's visit though according to the official media accounts here, over 100 American warships transited through the water since 2012, challenging China's claims over the area.</p>

<p>The US has been conducting similar naval and aerial expeditions in the disputed South China Sea to assert freedom of navigation, countering Beijing's claims over most of the area.</p>

<p>The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims over the South China Sea. Pelosi's visit, the first by a top US official in 25 years, set off a series of US lawmakers visits to Taipei. US Senator Marsha Blackburn became the fourth lawmaker to visit Taiwan when she travelled to Taipei last week.</p>

<p>"I will not be bullied by Communist China into turning my back on the island," she was quoted as saying by CNN. "Taiwan is our strongest partner in the Indo-Pacific Region. Regular high-level visits to Taipei are long-standing US policy," said Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee.</p>

<p>Blackburn met Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and other senior officials during her three-day stay, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.</p>

<p>After Pelosi's visit, China went ballistic conducting massive military exercises for several days including firing missiles over the Taiwan island, sparking concerns that Beijing may be contemplating a military offensive.<br />
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The Chinese navy on Sunday kept a close watch as two American warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait, separating China and Taiwan, the first such operation since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei early this month, sparking a new round of tensions between the two countries.

The Chinese navy on Sunday kept a close watch as two American warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait, separating China and Taiwan, the first such operation since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei early this month, sparking a new round of tensions between the two countries. The US warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait where the Chinese military carried out its biggest exercises for several days in August, often crossing the median line that separated the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, which Beijing viciously claims as part of it. "The USS Antietam and the USS Chancellorsville, two US guided-missile cruisers, sailed through the Taiwan Strait on August 28 and hyped it up publicly," the Eastern Theatre Command (ETC) of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) said on Sunday. The ETC conducted security tracking and monitoring of the US warships' passage in the whole course and had all movements of the two US warships under control, Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson for the ETC, said in a statement. The troops of the PLA Eastern Theatre Command always stay on high alert and get ready to thwart any provocation, he added. Criticising the American naval ships' transit through Taiwan Strait, a write-up in the state-run Global Times said the "US is trying to appease the Taiwan authorities and regional allies, conveying to them that Washington will not back down under military pressure from the Chinese mainland." This is the first time the US warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait, a busy and strategic waterway separating China and Taiwan, after Pelosi's visit though according to the official media accounts here, over 100 American warships transited through the water since 2012, challenging China's claims over the area. The US has been conducting similar naval and aerial expeditions in the disputed South China Sea to assert freedom of navigation, countering Beijing's claims over most of the area. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims over the South China Sea. Pelosi's visit, the first by a top US official in 25 years, set off a series of US lawmakers visits to Taipei. US Senator Marsha Blackburn became the fourth lawmaker to visit Taiwan when she travelled to Taipei last week. "I will not be bullied by Communist China into turning my back on the island," she was quoted as saying by CNN. "Taiwan is our strongest partner in the Indo-Pacific Region. Regular high-level visits to Taipei are long-standing US policy," said Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Blackburn met Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and other senior officials during her three-day stay, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. After Pelosi's visit, China went ballistic conducting massive military exercises for several days including firing missiles over the Taiwan island, sparking concerns that Beijing may be contemplating a military offensive. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

China keeps wary watch as US warships sail through Taiwan Strait

<p>With Beijing's modernised navy asserting its strength, the line running down the Taiwan Strait between Taiwan and China is looking increasingly meaningless.</p>

<p>The imaginary line was devised by a US general, Benjamin Oliver Davis Junior&nbsp;in 1954 at the height of Cold War hostility between Communist China and US-backed Taiwan. Although China never officially recognised the line but the People's Liberation Army largely respected it.</p>

<p>Taipei is bracing for warships from China's much larger navy which is routinely pushing over the line since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.</p>

<p>A Taiwanese official familiar with security planning in the region told news agency Reuters, "They want to increase pressure on us with the end goal of us giving up the median line."</p>

<p><strong>Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/why-us-lawmakers-taiwan-trips-keep-riling-china-508084">Why US lawmakers’ Taiwan trips keep riling China</a></strong></p>

<p>Highlighting that a change in the status quo could not be tolerated, foreign minister Joseph Wu said that Taiwan needs to join hands with ''like-minded partners to make sure that the median line is still there.''</p>

<p>If Chinese forces entered its 12 nautical miles of territorial waters, Taiwan would have to react militarily but it has no immediate plan to give the coastguard more authority to respond.</p>

<p>Reiterating that Taiwan will neither provoke nor escalate a conflict, President Tsai Ing-wen pointed out that Taipei is modernising its army as a precaution.</p>

<p>Since the imaginary line has no legal standing, it is questionable whether international support for Taiwan is sufficient to deter China from patrolling Taiwan's side of one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.</p>

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<p>The Taiwan Strait is about 180 km (110 miles) wide and the median line is about 40 km (25 miles) from Taiwan's waters at its narrowest.</p>

<p>Taiwanese officials warned that an established Chinese naval presence close to Taipei's territorial waters would stretch its military and make any Chinese blockade or invasion much easier.</p>

<p>Not only a redundant median line helps China to project its power in&nbsp;the Pacific, but it would also usher in further challenges to the long-standing US&nbsp;dominance near Beijing's seas.</p>

<p>Claiming that the median line "did not exist", Chinese ships are attempting to manoeuvre around Taiwanese patrols to cross it.</p>

<p>The "overthrowing" of the median line consensus had increased the risk of accidental conflict, according to experts.</p>

<p>Underscoring what they see as its status as an international waterway, the US ships are&nbsp;expected to sail through the Taiwan Strait within weeks but they are not expected to challenge Chinese vessels on either side of the median line.<br />
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<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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With Beijing's modernised navy asserting its strength, the line running down the Taiwan Strait between Taiwan and China is looking increasingly meaningless. The imaginary line was devised by a US general, Benjamin Oliver Davis Junior in 1954 at the height of Cold War hostility between Communist China and US-backed Taiwan.

With Beijing's modernised navy asserting its strength, the line running down the Taiwan Strait between Taiwan and China is looking increasingly meaningless. The imaginary line was devised by a US general, Benjamin Oliver Davis Junior in 1954 at the height of Cold War hostility between Communist China and US-backed Taiwan. Although China never officially recognised the line but the People's Liberation Army largely respected it. Taipei is bracing for warships from China's much larger navy which is routinely pushing over the line since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. A Taiwanese official familiar with security planning in the region told news agency Reuters, "They want to increase pressure on us with the end goal of us giving up the median line." Also see | Why US lawmakers’ Taiwan trips keep riling China Highlighting that a change in the status quo could not be tolerated, foreign minister Joseph Wu said that Taiwan needs to join hands with ''like-minded partners to make sure that the median line is still there.'' If Chinese forces entered its 12 nautical miles of territorial waters, Taiwan would have to react militarily but it has no immediate plan to give the coastguard more authority to respond. Reiterating that Taiwan will neither provoke nor escalate a conflict, President Tsai Ing-wen pointed out that Taipei is modernising its army as a precaution. Since the imaginary line has no legal standing, it is questionable whether international support for Taiwan is sufficient to deter China from patrolling Taiwan's side of one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. × The Taiwan Strait is about 180 km (110 miles) wide and the median line is about 40 km (25 miles) from Taiwan's waters at its narrowest. Taiwanese officials warned that an established Chinese naval presence close to Taipei's territorial waters would stretch its military and make any Chinese blockade or invasion much easier. Not only a redundant median line helps China to project its power in the Pacific, but it would also usher in further challenges to the long-standing US dominance near Beijing's seas. Claiming that the median line "did not exist", Chinese ships are attempting to manoeuvre around Taiwanese patrols to cross it. The "overthrowing" of the median line consensus had increased the risk of accidental conflict, according to experts. Underscoring what they see as its status as an international waterway, the US ships are expected to sail through the Taiwan Strait within weeks but they are not expected to challenge Chinese vessels on either side of the median line. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here: ×

How did China's navy begin to erase imaginary Taiwan Strait median line

Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said the Shandong, which was formally commissioned almost exactly one year ago, accompanied by four warships had set out from the northern Chinese port of Dalian.

Taiwan deploys 8 fighter aircrafts, 6 warships after passage of Chinese warship