"Taiwan Monitors Successive Days of Chinese Surveillance Balloon Incursions"
Taiwan's Defense Ministry reported that China sent four suspected spy balloons over Taiwan, with three passing near a significant air force base, amid heightened military threats from China as Taiwan approaches its presidential and legislative elections on January 13. This act of surveillance comes as China continues to assert pressure on Taiwan, which maintains a stance of de-facto independence, despite China's claims over the territory. The use of balloons for intelligence gathering aligns with previous reports of China's military-linked aerial surveillance program, which has targeted over 40 countries according to the Biden administration.