People wait in line to vote in the presidential election at a polling station in an elementary school in New Taipei City on January 13.//AFP
Taipei, Taiwan – Millions of Taiwanese headed to the polls Saturday for a presidential election, following threats from China that choosing the wrong leader could set the stage for war on the self-ruled island.
Beijing slammed frontrunner Lai Ching-te, the current vice president, as a dangerous “separatist” in the days leading up to the poll, warning voters to make “the correct choice” if they want to avoid military conflict.
Communist China claims self-ruled Taiwan, separated from the mainland by a 180-kilometre (110-mile) strait, as its own and says it will not rule out using force to bring about “unification”, even if conflict does not appear imminent.
Voting began at 8:00 am (0000 GMT) at the nearly 18,000 polling stations…
