The military is to be on high alert in the days around the Jan. 13 election to prepare for any activity by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the Ministry of National Defense said on Wednesday.
From 5pm on Jan. 12 to 8am on Jan. 14, all branches of the military are to be on high alert while maintaining regular operations, Colonel Lo Yung-chang (羅永昶), deputy head of ministry’s Office of Operations and Planning, told foreign media following a regular briefing at the ministry in Taipei.
During this period, the military is to maintain close contact with joint intelligence offices to keep an eye on PLA movements, he said.
Photo: Wu Su-wei, Taipei Times
Regardless of whether it utilizes “gray-zone” tactics or more overt aggression, it will be handled flexibly and in accordance with regulations, he added.
Meanwhile, the ministry on Wednesday announced another Chinese balloon crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, the fifth this month.
The military is to "handle" Chinese balloons flying nearby based on threat assessments, although officials believe the current wave is for weather purposes, driven by the prevailing winds, the ministry said.
From October to March, Chinese balloons are more regularly spotted due to the winds at that time of year, ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) said.
"Generally speaking, most of the ones we have spotted so far are weather balloons," he said. "They are from China, and not necessarily from the PLA."
The ministry would announce it if the balloons are for surveillance purposes, but it is so far not possible to judge whether the balloons seen are connected to the election, he said.
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