21.   It suspended semi-official talks with Taiwan in July and staged six wargames between July and March to try to intimidate the island.

22.   Since then, the Chinese military exercises in July and August along with two recent nuclear tests have been widely interpreted as an effort to intimidate the island.

23.   Taiwan says the exercises, of which six have been staged or announced since July, aim to intimidate the island ahead of its first democratic presidential election.

24.   Tensions have been high between Taiwan and mainland China since China began military exercises aimed at intimidating the island ahead of its presidential election on Saturday.

25.   The exercises were widely seen as an attempt to intimidate the island, which China has threatened to invade if it declares independence.

26.   The exercises were seen as aimed at intimidating the island ahead of the first direct presidential elections.

27.   The latest round of military exercises is aimed at intimidating the island ahead of its first democratic presidential election on Saturday, in which Lee is the front runner.