Chinese military vows to “firmly crush attempts at “Taiwan independence”

The Chinese army pledged on Friday to “crush» any effort in favor of Taiwan’s independence, on the eve of a crucial presidential election on the island which, according to Beijing, is part of its territory.

“The Chinese People’s Liberation Army maintains high vigilance at all times and will take all necessary measures to firmly crush attempts at “Taiwan independence” in any form.” Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said in a statement.

He accused Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party of pushing the island “towards the dangerous conditions of war» by buying weapons in the United States.

The vote closely followed by Beijing

Taiwan, a territory of 23 million inhabitants hailed as a model of democracy in Asia, is located just 180 kilometers from the coast of communist China, which considers it as one of its provinces to be attached to the rest of the country, by force if necessary.

Saturday’s vote is being closely followed by Beijing, Washington and the markets, Taiwan – the world’s leading producer of semiconductors – also being a key player in the economy.

All week, Beijing has increased its diplomatic and military pressure on the island. On Thursday, five Chinese balloons again crossed the median line separating the archipelago from China, according to the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense, which also spotted ten planes and six warships.