Ahead of Election Day, China has announced two days of live-fire drills in the East China Sea. Taiwan’s defense ministry says it’s closely tracking all PLA activities and is ready to respond to any threat. Since Jan. 1, China has also been ramping up its gray zone warfare against Taiwan, sending a surge of balloons across the strait.

According to the defense ministry, high-altitude balloons from China have been detected near Taiwan almost every day since Jan. 1. The balloons come at a sensitive time ahead of the Jan. 13 elections.

Huang Ming-chieh
Defense ministry intelligence officer
As for the timeframe of detection, these floating balloons were spotted in recent days. We’ve been able to detect all of them. After analyzing their patterns and paths, we have determined that the balloons are being deployed as a gray-zone tactic against us.

The defense ministry said the balloons were aimed at intimidation. It said it had full control of the situation, and was ready to respond to any contingency.

Wang Chia-chun
Defense ministry joint ops deputy chief
The CCP’s use of air balloons for intimidation is being fully monitored by our military. We will respond appropriately depending on the threat’s severity. We will not destroy the balloons as they appear. Doing so could play into China’s asymmetric warfare tactics, as it would affect our combat readiness and deplete our military resources.

Sun Li-fang
Defense ministry spokesperson
If a balloon poses a severe threat to the ground, we will take very proactive countermeasures.

With gray zone warfare ongoing, China has also launched military drills. The Maritime Safety Administration has announced live-fire exercise in the East China Sea from Jan. 8 to 9. Although the location is some distance away, Taiwan’s defense ministry is on high alert.

Huang Ming-chieh
Defense ministry intelligence officer
The CCP is conducting training in the East China Sea and has established no-fly zones. The defense ministry is fully monitoring all of China’s activities. Through joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, we are assessing the potential impact.

With just a few days left till the vote, Beijing’s every move is being closely watched by Taiwan.

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