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<\/p>\nChinese “spy balloons” were reportedly spotted flying near Taiwan on Sunday, the island Beijing has repeatedly threatened to invade. It comes amid fears that President Xi Jinping could ramp up a campaign of \u201ccoercion\u201d and \u201cintimidation\u201d ahead of Taiwan’s upcoming elections.<\/p>\n
According to the country\u2019s defense ministry, the balloons were spotted crossing north of the territory 110 nautical miles (204 kilometers) northwest of Keelung \u2013 a northern port city.<\/p>\n
They reportedly flew across the Taiwan Strait, a body of water separating the island from China, on Sunday.<\/p>\n
It marks the second time this month the alarm has been raised over Chinese balloons after another was seen flying near its territory on December 7.<\/p>\n
Taiwan\u2019s Defense Ministry did not specify whether the balloons were being used for surveillance purposes.<\/p>\n
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But it comes as the Taiwanese head to the polls next month for an election on January 13.<\/p>\n
Washington has urged Beijing to act responsibly amid fears of \u201cintimidation\u201d and coercion\u201d during the democratic process.<\/p>\n
Nicholas Burns, US Ambassador to China, said over the weekend: “Our strong expectation and hope is that those elections be free of intimidation, or coercion, or interference from all sides.”<\/p>\n
While Taiwan is independently governed, Beijing has repeatedly threatened to take back the territory it lost following a civil war in 1949.<\/p>\n
Don’t miss… <\/strong> The US has thrown its weight behind Taiwan, with Congress approving a $330 million sale of equipment to Taipei earlier this year to help maintain its tactical information system and strengthen its defences.<\/p>\n This has not stopped China from launching a series of military incursions in the Taiwan Strait over the last year, sending tensions soaring.<\/p>\n In 2022, China had the largest armed forces in the world, with about two million active soldiers.<\/p>\n It has also waged a campaign of espionage in western countries, including the US.<\/p>\n
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