TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) on Thursday (Jan. 4) denied Kuomintang (KMT) allegations that the military had plans to store ammunition in temples and residential buildings.

KMT legislative candidate Chen Mei-ya (陳美雅) said at a news conference that the military had chosen 18 locations in the city to use as arsenals, per CNA. She wondered whether the emergence of the information amounted to an illegal breach of confidentiality.

The mayor responded that the Army’s Fourth Theater of Operations had already explained that the plan would only be implemented as an exercise during wartime. There were no weapons or ammunition at the locations at present, and there would not be during peacetime, he said.

The mayor added that there had been no discussions with the military on the subject and that if they put in a request to store ammunition in civilian buildings, he would turn them down. With just nine days left in the presidential and legislative election campaign, candidates should professionally discuss military issues, the mayor said.