Chinese military encroached close to Taiwan coast to ‘intimidate’ voters before key polls

According to Taiwan security authorities, Taiwan’s military thwarted four attempts by Chinese forces to enter the island’s delicate contiguous zone last month. They saw this as a stepped-up Chinese effort to “intimidate” voters before of important elections.

Taiwan’s government has presented the Jan. 13 presidential and legislative elections as a choice between “peace and war” and urged Taiwanese citizens to make the “right choice,” but Taiwan officials have frequently warned that China is attempting to push voters towards candidates desiring tighter relations with Beijing.

Over the last four years, Taiwan has been subjected to frequent military incursions by China, which it claims is an attempt to coerce the democratically ruled island into accepting Chinese sovereignty.

According to Taiwan security authorities and diplomats stationed in Taipei, China has increased these missions prior to Taiwan’s election as campaigning has intensified.

According to several Taiwanese security officials who spoke with reporters about the issue and an internal memo summarising the Chinese actions, China’s air and naval forces conducted four coordinated manoeuvres in November that approached Taiwan’s contiguous zone, which is 24 nautical miles (44 km) off its coast.

The letter said that the Chinese military actions were a part of a “multi-front campaign of voting interference,” which also involved disseminating false material to influence public opinion and engaging in political exchanges with Taiwanese officials.

One of the officials, who asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the subject, described the contiguous zone drills as “simulating an intrusion and testing the response of our national military.” The source also stated that Taiwan sent troops to drive the Chinese military out.

According to the officials, Chinese actions in November also included balloons that repeatedly crossed the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait for two days in a row and marine research ships that approached the strait’s contiguous zone off Taiwan’s eastern and western sides.

(With agency inputs)