CHINA RESPONDS TO ELECTIONS WITH MILITARY DRILLS
WASHINGTON Days after Taiwanese voters elected the leader of a pro- independence party to the president’s office, China’s military announced that a unit based opposite Taiwan had carried out live firing drills and mock landing exercises.
Separately, thousands of trolls from mainland China flooded the Facebook page of Taiwan’s next president, Tsai Ing-wen, pictured, with hostile comments.
Footage broadcast on China Central Television showed amphibious landing craft firing shells from sea to land, helicopters firing missiles, soldiers parachuting down and tanks rolling through the countryside.
Tsai’s Democratic People’s Party ( DPP) believes Taiwan is a sovereign, independent country but does not want to anger China by making any formal declaration of independence. But it is clear that the Chinese government and many Chinese people remain wary of Tsai.
On Wednesday e vening, her Facebook page was flooded with hostile comments.
“Your root is here, come back soon, this will only make our Chinese nationality lose face,” one user wrote.
Another took a more combative tone.
“Taiwan is such a poor and backward place, do you still have any face to talk? What is the use of talking about this without any power? If you have guts, declare independence.”