China’s Ministry of National Defense on Thursday accused Taiwan’s government of deliberately “hyping up” a military threat from China for electoral gain ahead of elections in just over two weeks, but again sent warplanes into the Taiwan Strait.
As the Jan. 13 elections draw near, Taiwan has reported Chinese fighter jets and warships around the nation, as well as balloons crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, although the military says they are most likely for weather monitoring purposes.
Speaking at a monthly news conference in Beijing, ministry spokesperson Colonel Wu Qian (吳謙) said that Taiwan’s government was to blame for the tensions.
Photo: Emily Wang Fujiyama, AP
“The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities are deliberately hyping up the so-called ‘military threat from the mainland’ and exaggerating tensions,” Wu said.
“This is entirely to seek electoral gain,” he added, accusing Taiwan of using a “familiar electoral playbook to stoke confrontation and manipulate the election.”
Shortly after Wu spoke, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) in Taipei reported further Chinese military activities in the Strait, saying it had detected 12 military aircraft crossing the median line or flying close to it on Thursday afternoon.
It said the aircraft, including J-11 and Su-30 jets, entered airspace to the north, center and southwest of Taiwan, and “cooperated with communist ships to carry out joint combat readiness patrols.”
Wu reiterated that China did not recognize the median line.
“Taiwan is a part of China. The ‘median line’ absolutely does not exist,” he said.
The MND this week said it was not seeing any signs of large-scale Chinese military activity before the elections, but was keeping a close watch on China.
Wu said China’s People’s Liberation Army was well aware of Taiwan’s military movements.
“We will, as always, take all necessary measures to resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.
From the start of this month, Taiwan has reported a spate of Chinese balloons drifting over the Taiwan Strait, saying they were probably monitoring weather conditions.
Wu declined to comment on the balloons.
China has also been angered by US arms sales to Taiwan.
“We firmly oppose any country having official and military contact with Taiwan in any form,” Wu added. “The US is manipulating the Taiwan question in various forms, which is a very dangerous gamble.”
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