Taiwan elections: mainland China accuses Democratic Progressive Party of ‘hyping’ up military threat to win votes
- The island will elect its next president in January, with William Lai, the independence-leaning party’s candidate, currently ahead in the polls
- PLA spokesman Wu Qian said accusations was interfering in the election were an attempt to ‘gain votes through lies’
“The Democratic Progressive Party has purposely hyped up the so-called ‘military threats by the mainland military’ to exaggerate tensions,” Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a PLA spokesman, told a press briefing in Beijing. “They do that so they can make gains in the elections.”
In response to questions about Taiwan keeping tabs on the PLA, Wu said: “As for the Taiwan military’s capabilities, the PLA is in absolute full control. As always, we will adopt all necessary measures to resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
In recent weeks, Taiwan has accused Beijing of interfering in the elections by flying spy balloons across the Taiwan Strait’s median line and sending PLA warplanes into its air defence identification zone.
Wu dismissed the accusations as election rhetoric by the DPP and denied that the median line exists, saying Taiwan was part of China.
