Taiwan reported this Saturday (23) the presence of Chinese military planes and vessels around the island, including aircraft crossing the sensitive midline of the Taiwan Strait, at a time when Beijing continues with military activities in the region three weeks before Taiwanese elections.
The government has complained for four years about recurring Chinese patrols and military exercises near the island. China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory.
Taiwan will hold presidential and parliamentary elections on January 13th. Relations with China are one of the themes of the election.
Taiwan's Ministry of Defense stated that, since 2:30 am (Brasília time) this Saturday, it has detected J-10, J-11 and J-16 fighters, as well as patrol aircraft, operating in the airspace in the north, center and south of the island.
Ten aircraft crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait or nearby regions, working together with Chinese ships to carry out “joint combat readiness patrols,” the ministry said.
The median line once served as an unofficial barrier between the two sides, but now Chinese planes regularly fly over it.
The ministry said Taiwan had also deployed its own forces to monitor the situation.
China has not commented on recent military activities near Taiwan. In the past, the country has said it aims to prevent “collusion” between Taiwanese separatists and the United States, and protect Chinese territorial integrity.
The Taiwanese government, which has repeatedly proposed that China sit at the negotiating table, rejects China's claim to sovereignty over the territory, and claims that only the island's people can decide its fate.
Lai Ching-te, from the Democratic Progressive Party, which heads the government, has been classified by Beijing as a separatist and leads opinion polls on the presidential election.
The main opposition party, Kuomintang, is in favor of maintaining closer ties with China and has promised to reopen dialogue with its neighbor if it wins the election. However, the party also claims that the people of Taiwan are the only ones who can decide their own future.
Source: CNN Brasil
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