Taiwan’s military has reported three more Chinese weather balloons floating near the country, with one of them passing directly over the country just before this weekend’s presidential vote.
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00:00 Chinese warplanes flying around Taiwan.
00:03 It's almost a daily occurrence as Beijing ramps up military pressure on the island.
00:08 On Monday, Taiwan's defense ministry reported one Chinese military aircraft flying in the
00:13 country's ADIZ, or air defense zone.
00:17 This area doesn't belong to Taiwan, but it's used as a defensive buffer.
00:21 But it also spotted three weather balloons, one flying directly over the country and violating
00:27 Taiwan's airspace.
00:29 It's not yet known what exactly these balloons are used for.
00:32 It's likely that maybe this has happened before.
00:35 We just don't know.
00:36 But in any case, the fact that we've had seven of these balloons since the start of this
00:41 year is very noticeable, very significant, especially given the fact that we're so close
00:46 to Taiwan's election.
00:48 Taiwan's presidential elections are just six days away.
00:51 And one of the biggest concerns is China's goal to rule the country by force if necessary.
00:56 For several decades, China has modernized its armed forces and staged large-scale military
01:01 exercises as a show of force.
01:04 But despite those efforts, many analysts agree that invading Taiwan would be one of the most
01:09 difficult operations in the world.
01:11 China would need to transport over 100,000 soldiers in the first wave of an attack over
01:16 the 100-kilometer Taiwan Strait.
01:18 This kind of amphibious landing hasn't been done since World War II, when the U.S. and
01:23 its allies landed on the beaches of Normandy.
01:25 The Normandy Strait is only a few dozen kilometers long, but the Taiwan Strait is much wider.
01:31 When the enemy entered the Taiwan Strait, its troops had no resistance.
01:35 As long as we had the right number of defense forces, we would be able to fight back.
01:43 Taiwan has spent billions of dollars to manage this threat and boost its defense.
01:47 In 2023, China sent a total of over 1,700 warplanes around Taiwan in what analysts describe
01:54 as a form of "gray zone warfare."
01:57 It's meant to try and blur the lines on what exactly is considered an act of war.
02:01 With less than a week until Taiwan chooses its next leader, Beijing may have all decided
02:05 to escalate its military pressure.
02:08 Beijing is attempting to kind of put pressure on Taiwan without using overt military means.
02:14 But historically when Beijing has attempted outright voter intimidation that hasn't gone
02:18 their way, I think they're attempting a new kind of more nuanced strategy to interfere
02:23 in Taiwan's electoral process.
02:25 The balloon sightings around Taiwan could not have come at a more sensitive time.
02:29 And while the outcome of Saturday's vote is far from certain, any attempt to intimidate
02:33 voters here could well backfire on Beijing.
02:36 Scott Huang in Hamilkon, for Taiwan Plus.
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