Polls opened on Saturday (January 13) in Taiwan's presidential and parliamentary elections as Beijing ramps up pressure to get the island to accept its sovereignty, Reuters reports.
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which champions Taiwan's separate identity and rejects China's territorial claims, is seeking a third term in office with its candidate, current Vice President Lai Ching-te. Lai is facing two opponents for the presidency - Hou Yu-ih of Taiwan's largest opposition party the Kuomintang (KMT) and former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je of the small Taiwan People's Party (TPP), only founded in 2019.
China, which has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, has called the DPP dangerous separatists and urged Taiwanese to make the "right choice", framing the elections as a choice between war and peace. Taiwan, a neighbouring island China claims as its own, has been a democratic success story since holding its first direct presidential election in 1996, the culmination of decades of struggle against authoritarian rule and martial law.
China's defence ministry on Friday (January 12) warned it would "smash any Taiwan independence plots" while Washington said it wants to see free and fair elections in Taiwan and it would be unacceptable for any nation to interfere.
