China's hopes for unification with Taiwan continue in nearby Pingtan
On a windy seaside promenade in southern China's Pingtan, people soaked up the bright sunlight and peered through binoculars at Taiwan to the east. Taiwan is an island that the country's leaders have vowed to one day occupy.
Millions of Taiwanese headed to polling stations on Saturday to vote for the democratic island's new leader in an election marked by the looming threat of an increasingly belligerent China.
But many are ignoring warnings from Beijing and are instead voting with more local issues in mind, such as housing and the economy.
But in Pingtan, China's closest town to mainland Taiwan, some locals said they were confident the autonomous territory would eventually be incorporated.
“Hong Kong is back, Macau is back, it's just Taiwan,” Chen Su-ting, a 75-year-old former businessman, told AFP.
His views align with the ruling Communist Party's view that Taiwan is part of China and must be returned to reverse the “humiliation of the century” in which the island was dismantled by foreign powers.
Previous Chinese leaders had vowed to unify the country, but time was running out, he said.
“We must liberate Taiwan in this generation,” he said.
“If Taiwan becomes independent without being unified, we will fight.”
– “Peaceful unification is best” –
But while Pingtan is a popular tourist destination in the summer, strong monsoon winds and low temperatures in winter make it a quiet place in January, war seems far away in Pingtan.
Two local residents said they had not heard that an election would be held on Saturday. This reflects the lack of extensive election coverage by mainland state media.
Some people had strong opinions.
“Our hope is for peaceful development on both sides of the strait,” said Gao, a former Communist Party official who gave only his last name.
“Peaceful reunification is the best. It has been 75 years since (China's) liberation, and everyone is looking forward to the peaceful reunification of the two countries,” he said.
Mr. Chen agreed, saying he was “hopeful” that Hou Youxi, the candidate of the opposition Beijing-aligned Kuomintang Party, would defeat Lai Qingde, the leading candidate from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party. . The Chinese government has denounced Lai as a dangerous separatist.
The man said, “Although the Kuomintang is not that strong, I hope that Hou Youxi will win.''
In town, restaurants specializing in fresh seafood, a big draw for tourists from other parts of China, were mostly empty at lunchtime, with some people running errands.
On the beach, kite surfers darted across the azure bay, families strolled with their children along the white sand, and some took photos with flocks of white pigeons.
Source: guardian.ng