Taiwan President Lai Ching-te will deliver a key speech on Oct 10.
TAIPEI – China is likely to launch military drills this week near Taiwan, using Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s upcoming national day speech as a pretext to pressure the island to accept its sovereignty claims, Taiwanese officials say.in what Beijing said was a response to “separatist acts”, sending heavily armed warplanes and staging mock attacks as state media denounced the newly inaugurated Mr Lai.
Mr Lai will deliver a key speech on Oct 10 in a grand celebration in front of the presidential office in Taipei to mark the 113th birthday of the Republic of China, Taiwan’s official name. China has “continuously tried to test the red lines of various countries, maximising its grey-zone operations”, the memo said, referring to military moves that stop short of actual combat to test and pressure other militaries.
A Taipei-based diplomatic source told Reuters that one thing that could hold back a military reaction by China to Mr Lai’s speech was the closeness of the US presidential election, with Beijing not wanting for Taiwan tensions to suddenly be put into the international spotlight so close to the vote.
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