HONG KONG, January 10. /TASS/. The Taiwanese military detected a Chinese balloon and eight aircraft around the island in the past 24 hours, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The balloon was detected at 3:41 p.m. (7:41 a.m. GMT) on Tuesday after crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait 147 nautical miles northwest of the Pingtung County in southern Taiwan and at an altitude of about 9.2 kilometers. The balloon headed east and disappeared at 6:58 p.m. (10:58 a.m. GMT).

In addition, the Taiwanese military detected eight Chinese aircraft and five vessels of the People's Liberation Army Navy. One of the aircraft - a BZK-005 unmanned aerial vehicle - crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, the statement said.

According to the ministry, Taiwan’s armed forces "monitored the situation and tasked appropriate forces to respond."

Taiwan has been governed by its local administration since 1949 when the remaining Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled to the island after suffering a defeat in China’s civil war. Beijing regards Taiwan as one of China’s provinces.