Taiwan said on Monday that it had detected a Chinese balloon over the sea northwest of the island.
It is the first time since April that Taiwan has reported such an incident.
Chinese planes, warships also reported
The balloon was sighted at 6:21 p.m. local time (1021 UTC) on Sunday about 111 kilometers (69 miles) to the north of Keelung port, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said in its daily update on Chinese military activities.
Some 12 Chinese military aircraft and seven warships were also spotted close to the island in the prior 24 hours, the ministry said.
It flew for some two hours at an altitude of 33,000 feet (10,000 meters) before disappearing, the ministry added.
Beijing regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has said it does not rule out military action to take back control of the island.
Both claim sovereignty over the whole of China, a result of the civil war that was won by the Chinese Communist Party, but a dwindling number of countries recognize Taiwan’s claim.
Nevertheless, the US provides military support for Taiwan, raising fears of a conflict between China and the US.
