The Chinese military has stated that it will "crush" any efforts to promote Taiwan's independence.
On Friday, hundreds and thousands of people attended pre-election rallies in Taiwan in preparation for Saturday's critical presidential and parliamentary polls.
Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson, Zhang Xiaogang, stated, "The Chinese People's Liberation Army maintains high vigilance at all times and will take all necessary measures to firmly crush 'Taiwan independence' attempts of all forms."
In response to a question about Taiwan's Air Force upgrading F-16 fighter jets and purchasing more from the US, Xiaogang emphasized that even with purchases of US weapons the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) "cannot stop the trend of complete reunification of the motherland."
The DPP has rejected China's territorial claims, championing Taiwan's separate identity.
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