Taiwan Tracks 6 Naval Ships And 8 Chinese Military Aircraft, During Taiwan's Presidential Election

Defense News Taiwan :- Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) closely monitored eight Chinese military planes and six naval vessels circling Taiwan between 6 am on Friday and the same time on Saturday, coinciding with the presidential election, as reported by Taiwan News.

Among the eight People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane ventured into the southwest corner of Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ). Notably, no PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line during this period.

In response, Taiwan dispatched its own aircraft and naval ships while deploying air defense missile systems to keep a close eye on the PLA activities.

Since September 2020, China has been employing what is known as "grey zone tactics," gradually increasing the presence of military aircraft and naval ships around Taiwan, according to Taiwan News. These tactics involve efforts beyond typical deterrence, aiming to achieve security objectives without direct and substantial use of force.

Taiwan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jaushieh Joseph Wu, issued a call on Friday for the global community to be vigilant and counter China's attempts to interfere in democratic nations' elections, as reported by a local weekly newspaper.

Speaking in Taipei City during a pre-election media briefing for international journalists, Minister Wu emphasized the urgency of recognizing and preventing China's interference tactics. He warned that Taiwan serves as a testing ground for China's election intervention methods and outlined various interference strategies.

Minister Wu pointed to China's reliance on a combination of military threats, political propaganda, economic coercion, and cyber and disinformation warfare. The ultimate goal is to manipulate public opinion by framing elections as choices between war, peace, and prosperity.