Taiwan's Vice President William Lai announced that the elections scheduled for next year on the island represent a choice between democracy and authoritarianism. His remarks were broadcasted following China's military drills around Taiwan in a furious reaction to Lai's visit to the United States earlier this month. Lai made a stop in the United States while traveling to and from Paraguay, which angered Beijing, viewing him as a separatist posing a threat in the territory it claims as its own. Polls indicate that Lai is the leading candidate in the presidential elections set for January.
On Sunday morning, Taiwan's Defense Ministry reported that 25 Chinese air force fighters crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait in the past 24 hours. This line had served as an informal boundary between the two sides until Chinese military aircraft began to cross it regularly over the past year. According to a map released by the ministry, the fighters that crossed the line included Su-30 and J-11 aircraft. However, there has been no indication that China continued its drills on Sunday. Taiwanese officials had predicted that China would conduct military exercises near the island, using Lai's stop in the U.S. as a pretext to intimidate voters before the upcoming presidential election and make them "fear war."
