TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — With Taiwan's general election slated for Jan. 13, the U.S. State Department has expressed its opposition to "outside interference or malign influence" in the elections and urges China to halt its efforts to exert various forms of pressure on the country.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Voice of America (VOA) on Monday (Jan. 8), "We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan, which is fundamentally at odds with the goal of peace and stability." The spokesperson said, "We have deep confidence in Taiwan’s democratic process and believe it is for Taiwan voters to choose their next leader, free from outside interference."

The spokesperson also added, “Beijing’s continued provocative actions in the Taiwan Strait are indicative of its unilateral attempts to change the status quo which has preserved global peace and stability for decades."

Washington's rhetoric comes as China continues to deploy military aircraft and naval vessels around the Taiwan Strait, as well as send balloons near and over the country. Since December, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) has been issuing reports on Chinese balloons that have crossed the Taiwan Strait median line.

The MND on Saturday (Jan. 6) said Chinese balloons pose "a serious threat to the safety of many international aviation routes," and accused Beijing of displaying a "disregard for aviation safety," per DW. According to the ministry, the primary purpose of the balloons is "gray zone harassment in an attempt to use cognitive warfare to affect the morale of our troops."