Taiwan confirms crashed balloon was used for weather monitoring after analysis

A balloon that came down on a remote Taiwanese-held islet close to mainland China’s coast was used for weather monitoring and had no audiovisual recording equipment on board, Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said on Saturday after analysing the remains.

Taiwan, which mainland China claims as its own territory, has complained of increased harassment by Beijing’s armed forces over the past three years, including fighter jets flying near the island and drones buzzing close to offshore islets.

Taiwan said on Thursday that its forces on Dongyin island, part of the Taiwan-controlled Matsu archipelago off the coast of the mainland Chinese city of Fuzhou, had found the remains of a balloon after observing an object falling from the sky. They said it was more than likely from mainland China.

The Defence Ministry said that after analysing and comparing the remains, it had determined that the balloon was carrying meteorological recording instruments “without photographic or recording audiovisual or storage-related devices”.

It was equipped with an antenna, temperature and humidity sensing equipment, a data transmitter board and lithium battery, a ministry statement said.

According to statistics it has assembled, the ministry said “floating balloons” around the Taiwan Strait in recent years have mostly been seen between December and February, in line with the prevailing wind direction.