Before the polls, Taiwan finds four Chinese balloons close to a major air base.

Taipei's defense ministry revealed on Wednesday that four Chinese balloons were detected crossing the median line separating Taiwan from China, with three of them flying directly above the island. A graphic released by the ministry depicted three balloons heading northeast above Taiwan, originating "southwest of Ching-Chuan-Kang," near a military airbase in the western city of Taichung. The lowest altitude recorded for one of the balloons was 12,000 feet (3,658 meters). This incident occurred less than two weeks before Taiwan's pivotal election and marked the second consecutive day of such intrusions.

The defense ministry, which began publicly reporting balloon incidents in December, emphasized that it is "closely monitoring and will take appropriate measures" based on the "nature, altitude, and possible hazards of the targets." Conflict expert Ou Sifu from Taiwan's Institute of National Defense and Security Research suggested that the balloons are employed for "military coercion and psychological warfare" aimed at influencing more "pro-Beijing votes" in the upcoming presidential election.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has escalated military and political pressures against the government of President Tsai Ing-wen, who does not recognize China's claim on Taiwan. The increased deployment of warplanes and naval vessels around the island, known as "grey zone" tactics, serves to intimidate Taiwan's military. China has also refused to engage with President Tsai, and her deputy Lai Ching-te, a frontrunner in the January 13 election, is labeled a "troublemaker" and "separatist" by Beijing. The intrusion of Chinese balloons adds a dimension of military intimidation as tensions rise ahead of the crucial election.