TAIPEI: Taiwan is not seeing any signs of large-scale Chinese military activity before elections next month but is keeping a close watch on China, the island’s defence ministry said on Tuesday (Dec 26).
Taiwan’s Jan 13 presidential and parliamentary election will shape the Chinese-claimed island’s relations with Beijing, which has over the past four years ramped up military pressure to assert its sovereignty claims.
As the election approaches Taiwan has been reporting Chinese fighter jets and warships around the island, as well as balloons crossing the sensitive Taiwan Strait, though the military says they are most likely for weather monitoring purposes.
“So far we haven’t seen signs they’re making big moves, but nothing today doesn’t mean there won’t be something tomorrow or the day after tomorrow,” Taiwan defence ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang told reporters in Taipei.
“We are watching all the time,” he added.