Taiwan says it spotted 11 Chinese balloons near the island

The balloons were spotted along with five fighter jets and six warships in the 24 hours up to 6 a.m. on March 7 (local time), according to Taiwan's defense agency in its daily bulletin.

This is also the first time Taiwan has recorded so many Chinese balloons in the vicinity of the island since AFP began collecting data in December 2023.

The surge in balloons comes after Taipei spotted 45 Chinese military aircraft near the island in 24 hours last week, marking the highest number of such flights so far this year.

Also last week, Taiwan criticized China for holding live-fire drills in waters south of the island. Beijing responded by saying they were just routine exercises.

In recent years, China has maintained regular military exercises around the island.

The United States continues to be Taiwan's most important backer and arms supplier.

Speaking at a recent security forum, Taiwan's security official Wu Zhao-hye asserted that Washington's support for Taipei remains extremely strong.