China steps up military maneuvers in the weeks leading up to Taiwan's first presidential election on March 23, 1996. The People's Liberation Army amasses over 100,000 troops in Fujian province across from Taiwan in January and February, and in March, conducts surface-to-surface missile tests just off the coast of Taiwan as well as air and naval exercises with live ammunition. In response, the United States sends two aircraft carriers toward the Taiwan Strait. Lee Teng-hui wins the first democratic presidential election on Taiwan with 54 percent of the vote.