(Reported by: Military News Agency, Reporter: Chou Sheng-wei, Taipei, 9th) In response to the harassment from airborne balloons by the CCP, Major General Sun Li-fang, spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense (MND), responded at a press conference today that if airborne balloons cause serious harm on the ground, the Armed Forces shall engage in a counterattack. However, if the risk is not high, it such activity shall instead be considered gray-zone harassment and the Armed Forces will not engage in a counterattack as desired by the CCP.

Major General Sun, MND spokesperson, pointed out that the Armed Forces will continue to make use of various joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance measures, and airborne aircraft to stay abreast of relevant developments. Countermeasures of the military are also based on important principles, including studying and judging the adversary's intentions. Based on the current analysis of related information, their objective is to use gray-zone threats to engage in a cognitive attack.

Colonel Wang Jia-jun, Vice Director of the Offices of the Deputy Chief of General Staff (CGSs) for Operations and Planning, added that as the CCP has adopted aerial balloons for harassment, the Armed Forces remains alert and shall respond accordingly. The Armed Forces will also not make way for the CCP's asymmetric operations to disrupt combat readiness and response, thus helping the CCP in achieving their objective of depleting the military weapons of our Armed Forces. Should airborne balloons enter densely populated areas, notifications will be released to all units for close monitoring, and each combat area will be asked to meticulously remain alert to any incidents.

In response to questions from the media, Colonel Huang Ming-jie, an intelligence officer from the Intelligence Research Center of the Offices of the CGSs for Intelligence, explained that airborne balloons were detected both in the morning and evening, but no wreckages have been found. Based on recent data analysis, the CCP is conducting gray-zone harassment against us as it carries out cognitive operation warfare activities.

Major General Sun Lifang, spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense, responded to media questions at the press conference. (Photographed by reporter Chou Sheng-wei, Military News Agency)