Taiwan has said balloons as part of the CCP’s “grey zone” tactics against Taiwan ‘in an attempt to use cognitive warfare to affect the morale of our people.’
A total of 42 Chinese warplanes and eight naval vessels were spotted around Taiwan on Aug. 19, just a day after Taiwanese vice president Lai Ching-te returned from a sensitive trip to the United States.
Taiwan’s cabinet has proposed NT$440 billion ($14 billion) in defense spending for the 2024 fiscal year, a 7.5 percent increase from the previous year, amid rising military tensions with China.
The United States has announced a $345 million military aid package for Taiwan following President Joe Biden’s order to draw weapons directly from U.S. stockpiles to help Taiwan counter China’s military threats.