Taiwan’s more than 19 million eligible voters will cast their ballots on Saturday for the island’s next leaders and lawmakers amid domestic economic challenges and China’s continued threats against the self-ruled island. The issue key in this election is that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) wants to take control of the island, by force if necessary. In the run-up to the polls, it has sent military aircraft and balloons around the island while its officials have urged voters to make the “right choice”. Beijing insists Taiwan is part of China, but in recent years, the people of Taiwan, many of whom have grown up in one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies and know nothing else, have become increasingly assertive about their own sense of identity.

Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/12/a-country-but-not-a-country-taiwan-prepares-to-vote-in-chinas-shadow