A senior Taiwanese national security official warned on Monday that China is likely to increase its campaign to pressure Taiwan before and after the island hands over power to a new government next May.

Taiwan's National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen told lawmakers in Taipei that Taiwan expects China to continue its tug-of-war tactics in the coming months, according to Bloomberg News Agency.

Tsai warned that Beijing is likely to continue its military and political intimidation against the government in Taipei while also offering economic incentives to those who help achieve its goal of unification with the island.

The national security official said that China is likely to intensify tactics in the weeks leading up to the inauguration of the elected president, Lai Ching-te, from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, on May 20th, and it may continue thereafter.

Lai will succeed Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, who also belongs to the Democratic Progressive Party, after the January elections saw pro-China presidential candidates defeated.

Tsai added: "We have found that whenever other countries make decisions in favor of Taiwan, or foreign ships pass through the Taiwan Strait, or foreign dignitaries visit Taiwan, China coordinates its current regular patrols to coincide with these diplomatic events."

Tsai said China poses an increasingly strong threat to Taiwan, but intelligence information indicates that war with the giant neighbor across the Taiwan Strait is not imminent.