A Taiwan Ministry of Defense briefing notes a Chinese balloon approach toward Taiwan on December 18, a detail echoed in official channels from year X. RIA News reported the sequence of events.
According to the Taiwan Armed Forces, the balloon crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait at 9:09 a.m. on December 18, placing it about 67 nautical miles (roughly 124 kilometers) northwest of Keelung. Reports indicate the object moved eastward while maintaining an altitude near 4.5 kilometers.
This marked the third balloon from the People’s Republic of China to be tracked near Taiwan in a short span, with previous observations occurring since December 17.
Earlier forecasts warned that a Chinese balloon might traverse U.S. airspace in early 2023, raising questions about data collection capabilities and the equipment on board.
During that period, several Chinese weather observation balloons encountered loss of control, prompting discussions between Washington and Beijing. The United States asserted that some balloons carried spy equipment, while Beijing denied such claims. In one incident, a balloon was taken down by the U.S. Air Force on February 4, 2023, a move that drew protests from Beijing.
At a later point, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken remarked that the United States and China should move beyond the framing that the American side alone caused significant escalation, urging a broader dialogue on the incident and its implications.