China vows to ‘smash independence plots’

Hundreds of thousands of people attended final pre-election rallies in Taiwan yesterday ahead of critical presidential and parliamentary polls, as China's defence ministry warned it would "smash any Taiwan independence plots".

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which champions Taiwan's separate identity and rejects China's territorial claims, is seeking a third term in office with its candidate, current Vice President Lai Ching-te. China has framed the elections as a choice between "peace and war", calling the DPP dangerous separatists and urging Taiwanese to make the "right choice". The DPP rejects China's sovereignty claims, and says only Taiwan's people can decide their future. Speaking at a rally in Taipei's neighbouring city New Taipei, Lai said the world was watching how Taiwan voted. "If Taiwan moves closer to China again, Taiwan will lose its advantage, and foreign investment in Taiwan is more likely to be suspended or stopped," he told the crowd which the DPP estimated at more than 200,000. In the run-up to today's election, China repeatedly denounced Lai and rebuffed repeated calls from him for talks. China's defence ministry, responding to a question earlier yesterday on Taiwan's air force upgrading F-16 fighter jets and buying more from the United States, said even with purchases of US weapons the DPP "cannot stop the trend of complete reunification of the motherland". "The Chinese People's Liberation Army remains on high alert at all times and will take all necessary measures to resolutely crush any form of 'Taiwan independence' separatist plots and firmly defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity," said ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang.