“The international community understands that recent tensions are not because of President Tsai or because of Taiwan, but because of China,” Taiwanese vice-president William Lai told a news conference.

Lai is the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s presidential candidate for a January election and is leading in the polls.

President Tsai Ing Wen cannot run again after two terms in office.

China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, has a particular dislike of Lai for comments he made in the past about being a “worker” for Taiwan independence, though he has said on the campaign trail he would maintain the status quo and has repeatedly offered to talk to Beijing.

China staged military exercises around Taiwan on Saturday in an angry response to brief stopovers that Lai made in the US this month, on his way to and from Paraguay.

The US, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but is the island’s most important international backer and arms supplier, which angers Beijing.

Taiwan is officially called the Republic of China, and Lai has said he does not seek to change that.

Both Lai and Tsai have said that as Taiwan is already an independent country there is no need for a separate declaration of independence.

Lai said his support for maintaining the status quo across the strait was “unwavering” and vowed to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region if elected.