Taiwan has various measures in place to handle potential aerial threats from China. That came from Defense Ministry spokesperson Sun Li-fang (孫立方) on Tuesday, a few days after the United States shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon found in its airspace.
The balloon incident has created greater tension between China and the United States. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed his diplomatic trip to China after discovering the balloon.
Sun says Taiwan has a firm grasp on its airspace surveillance, and the country would respond to a Chinese balloon based on the threat it posed. He says there are many types of balloons, and Taiwan would act after determining the balloon’s purpose.
Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology has been carrying out missile tests this week, which prompted some questions about whether these drills were in response to China’s actions. But institute head Chi Li-ping (齊立平) says these tests are routine and follow normal protocol.