Key elections in Taiwan amid Chinese threats

Millions will go to the polls in Taiwan for a presidential election that will be watched closely around the world. The new leader will set the course for the self-governing island in the face of growing threats from China.
In the days leading up to the election, Beijing has branded front-runner Lai Ching-te, the current vice president, a dangerous "separatist", warning voters to make the "right choice" if they want to avoid war, AFP reported.
Communist China considers self-ruled Taiwan, separated from the mainland by a 180-kilometer strait, as an integral part of its territory and does not rule out the use of force to achieve reunification.
The results will be closely watched from Beijing to Washington, the island's main military partner. The two world superpowers are fighting for influence in the strategically important region.
During the stormy campaign, Lai of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presented himself as a defender of Taiwan's democratic way of life.
His main opponent Hou Yue, of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party, favors warmer ties with China and accuses the DPP of angering Beijing with its position that Taiwan is "already independent".
Howe's KMT has said it will promote economic prosperity while maintaining strong relations with international partners, including the US.
The race has also seen the rise of the newly emerged populist Taiwan People's Party (TPP), whose leader Ko Wen-je has drawn support with an anti-establishment proposal for a "third way" and a break from the two-party impasse.
The KMT and TPP tried to forge an agreement to join forces against the DPP, but the partnership collapsed as a result of public acrimony over who would top the presidential ticket.
All three parties held closing rallies in front of hundreds of thousands of people.
Voters will elect lawmakers as well as a president, but Taiwan bans the publication of opinion polls within 10 days of an election.
Political observers say Lai, 64, is expected to win the top spot, although his party is likely to lose its majority in the 113-seat legislature.
The Mechanism of the World Economy
Located on a key sea route connecting the South China Sea to the Pacific Ocean, Taiwan is home to a powerful semiconductor industry producing precious microchips - the lifeblood of the global economy that powers everything from smartphones to cars and rockets.
China has stepped up its military pressure on Taiwan in recent years, periodically fueling concerns of a potential invasion.
On Friday night, Beijing launched a fresh round of bellicose rhetoric, with the Defense Ministry issuing a statement just 12 hours before the start of the election, vowing to "crush" any effort to promote Taiwan independence.
Chinese military aircraft and warships "check" Taiwan's defenses almost every day, and Beijing also organizes large-scale military exercises - simulating a blockade of the island and launching missiles into the surrounding waters.
According to many analysts, a possible blockade would turn the key Taiwan Strait into a dead end, affect the shipping of 50 percent of the world's containers and cost the global economy at least $2 trillion.
In a recent New Year's address, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Taiwan's "unification" with China was "inevitable."
Critics of the DPP accuse current President Tsai Ing-wen of provoking China by insisting that Taiwan is "already independent" - a position Beijing considers a red line. /BGNES