Major General Zhuang Hongwen, Director of the Air Defense and Assets Operations Department of the Ministry of National Defense.

(Provided by the Department of Defense)

[Reporter Tu Jumin/Report from Taipei] The U.S. Department of Defense sent F-22 fighter jets to launch AIM-9X air-to-air missiles to shoot down a high-altitude reconnaissance balloon flying from China into U.S. airspace. Is it to follow the practice of the US military?

Zhuang Hongwen, director of the Air Defense and Assets Warfare Department of the Ministry of National Defense, said that if the national military's intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance system grasps the balloon target, it will judge according to the degree of threat. If there is a threat, it will be dealt with according to the relevant disposal regulations. use".

The Ministry of National Defense held a regular press conference today. The media focused on the U.S. military’s shooting down of the CCP’s high-altitude reconnaissance balloon. Huang Guancheng, director of the intelligence and preparation department of the Ministry of National Defense’s intelligence sub-office, said that relevant aircraft entering Taiwan’s surrounding areas include airborne, sounding or spy balloons. Therefore, the national army will use relevant intelligence, surveillance and investigation methods to make corresponding actions and master them.

As for whether interception or attack is required, it should be dealt with according to relevant regulations, and the identification of the balloon type involves domestic intelligence surveillance and investigation methods, so it is inconvenient to disclose.

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And if the CCP’s balloon floats into our country’s airspace, is that the same as the CCP’s “first strike”?

Will we shoot down?

Zhuang Hongwen said that if the national military's intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance system has a balloon target, it will judge according to the degree of threat. If there is a threat, it will be dealt with in accordance with the relevant disposal regulations. "All possible means will be used."

However, officials of the Ministry of National Defense did not respond positively to the specific response measures, whether it was shot down, etc. The Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Sun Lifang added that since the detailed engagement regulations and other regulations are all classified as military secrets, the Ministry of National Defense will not publicly explain them.