《TAIPEI TIMES》 Sources say China neared contiguous zone four times as intimidation tactic

By Yimou Lee / Reuters, TAIPEI

The military four times last month drove away Chinese forces attempting to approach the nation’s sensitive contiguous zone in a ramped-up campaign by Beijing to “intimidate” voters before key elections, security officials said.

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Officials have repeatedly said that China is trying to sway voters toward candidates seeking closer ties with Beijing, which has framed the Jan. 13 presidential and legislative elections as a choice between “peace and war” and urged Taiwanese to make the “right choice.”

Over the past four years, Taiwan has reported regular Chinese military incursions.

China has stepped up such missions as election campaigning has kicked into high gear, security officials and Taipei-based diplomats have said.

Last month, China’s air and naval forces staged four coordinated maneuvers that appraoched Taiwan’s contiguous zone, which is 24 nautical miles （44km） from its coast, said multiple security officials and an internal Taiwanese memo summing up China’s activities.

The Chinese military maneuvers were part of a “multi-front campaign of voting interference” that included exchange activities with Taiwanese politicians and the spread of misinformation to sway public opinion, the memo said.

The contiguous zone drills were “simulating an intrusion and testing the response of our national military,” said one of the officials, who asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Taiwan dispatched forces to drive the Chinese away, the source said.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office and Ministry of National Defense did not respond to requests for comment.

Chinese activities last month also included balloons that crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait for two days in a row, as well as marine research ships approaching close to the contiguous zone off Taiwan’s eastern and western shores, the officials said.

A Chinese commercial tugboat also entered Taiwan’s territorial waters in the south, which are 12 nautical miles from its coast, they said.

“Through these military and non-military [maneuvers], they were making a statement that they can do something to Taiwan anytime while keeping the tensions up,” an official said. “It is evident psychological warfare. They are spreading the message of peace and war every day.”

A second official described the Chinese maneuvers as part of Beijing’s escalating campaign of “gray zone” warfare, seeking to wear Taiwan down with repeated drills and to “intimidate” voters.

“They want to make it look like their prophecy might come true,” the person said, referring to the narrative that if the Democratic Progressive Party （DPP） stays in power, a war with China is likely.

Vice President William Lai （賴清德）, the DPP’s presidential candidate, and DPP vice presidential candidate Hsiao Bi-khim （蕭美琴） are leading in the polls. China has rebuffed Lai’s offers of talks.

The Ministry of National Defense said that 12 Chinese fighter jets and a suspected weather balloon had crossed the median line last week.

Taiwan on Monday sent its forces to monitor a Chinese carrier strike group, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, sailing through the Taiwan Strait.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES