Taipei, Mar 07 (V7N) – Taiwan's Defense Ministry has detected 11 Chinese balloons near the island in the past 24 hours, marking the highest number recorded since December 2023.

The balloons were spotted between Thursday 6 AM and Friday 6 AM, along with five Chinese military aircraft and six warships operating near Taiwan.

China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, has intensified its military presence around the island in recent years. Taiwan, however, maintains it is a sovereign state and has been closely monitoring Beijing’s military activities.

END/RH/AJ