TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwanese military drove away four attempts by Chinese forces to approach the country’s contiguous zone in November, Reuters reported on Wednesday (Dec. 13).
Taiwan has warned that China is trying to influence the upcoming elections toward candidates that are more pro-China. Meanwhile, Beijing has framed the Jan. 13 elections as a choice between “peace and war,” the report said.
Last month, Chinese air and naval forces carried out four coordinated maneuvers approaching Taiwan’s contiguous zone, which extends 24 nautical miles (44 km) off its coast, according to several Taiwan security officials and a Taiwanese memo on the Chinese activity.
The memo noted that the Chinese military actions were part of a ”multi-front campaign of voting interference,” which also included exchange activities with Taiwanese politicians and spreading misinformation to influence public opinion.
The Chinese drills in the contiguous zone were meant to simulate an intrusion to test the Taiwanese military response, one official told Reuters. Taiwan sent forces to drive the Chinese away, the source added.
Taiwanese officials also told the outlet that Chinese marine research ships came close to the contiguous zone off Taiwan’s east and west coasts in November. Meanwhile, last month a Chinese commercial tugboat entered Taiwan’s southern territorial waters, which are defined as 12 nautical miles (22 km) from its coast.
“Through these military and non-military forces, they were making a statement that they can do something to Taiwan anytime while keeping the tensions up,” the official told Reuters. “It is evident psychological warfare. They are spreading the message of ‘peace and war’ every day.”
A second Taiwanese official said the moves were part of China’s increasing use of gray zone warfare to wear the country down with repeated drills and to “intimidate” voters. “They want to make it look like their prophecy might come true,” the official said, pointing to the narrative that if the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) stays in power, a conflict with China is more likely to occur.
Taiwan’s presidential and legislative elections are scheduled for Jan. 13, with the three candidates vying to be the country’s next president, Lai Ching-te (賴清德) of the DPP, Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) for the Kuomintang (KMT), and Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) for the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP).