“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,” Defence Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said in a statement on Friday.

Zhang accused Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party of pushing the island “toward the dangerous conditions of war” by purchasing arms from the United States.

Taiwan and its 23 million people are separated by a narrow 180-kilometre (110-mile) strait from China, which has vowed to retake the island one day.

Saturday’s presidential contest is being closely watched around the world as the winner will lead the strategically important island — a major producer of vital semiconductors — as it manages ties with an increasingly assertive China.

Beijing in recent years has maintained a near-daily military presence around Taiwan, sending in warplanes and ships to its surroundings in so-called “grey zone” harassment actions which fall short of outright provocation.

The weeks leading up to Saturday’s vote have also seen a flurry of Chinese balloons crossing the Taiwan Strait’s sensitive median line, which Taipei authorities have slammed as a form of interference in the crucial poll.