Chinese Balloons Spotted Over Taiwan Ahead of Elections

Incidents raise concerns about potential surveillance activities as Taiwan prepares for a presidential election with a pro-independence front-runner.

Two Chinese balloons were spotted flying over Taiwan for the second time this month, raising concerns about potential surveillance activities.
The balloons were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, a sensitive boundary between Taiwan and China.
The sightings come ahead of Taiwan's presidential election on January 13, with the front-runner, William Lai of the Democratic Progressive Party, favoring Taiwan's independence from China.
China's use of balloons for spying came into focus earlier this year when the U.S. shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic Ocean.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry has not confirmed whether the balloons could have been used for spying, and China's Foreign Ministry has not commented on the incidents.