On a windswept boulevard in Pingtan, southern China, individuals basked in shiny daylight and appeared via binoculars eastward towards Taiwan, the island their nation's leaders have vowed to at some point seize.
Thousands and thousands of Taiwanese went to the polls on Saturday to vote for the democratic island's new chief, in an election marked by the looming risk of an more and more bellicose China.
However many are ignoring warnings from Beijing and as a substitute voting with extra native points in thoughts, resembling housing and the financial system.
However on Pingtan, the closest level in China to Taiwan's major island, some locals mentioned they had been satisfied the self-ruled territory would at some point fall into their fold.
“Hong Kong has returned, Macau has returned, it's simply Taiwan,” Chen Suqing, a 75-year-old retired businessman, informed AFP.
His views mirror these of the ruling Communist Get together: that Taiwan is a part of China and have to be returned if the nation is to reverse a “century of humiliation” during which it was torn aside by overseas powers.
Earlier Chinese language leaders had promised to reunify the nation, he mentioned — and time was operating out.
“We should liberate Taiwan on this technology,” he mentioned.
“If Taiwan is just not united and turns into unbiased, we’ll combat.”
– 'Peaceable reunification is greatest' –
However conflict nonetheless appears far-off in Pingtan, a preferred vacationer vacation spot in summer time, whereas sturdy seasonal winds and chilly temperatures in winter make it a quiet place in January.
Two locals mentioned they’d not heard that elections would happen on Saturday – a mirrored image of the widespread lack of election protection within the mainland's state-controlled media.
Others had sturdy opinions.
“Our hope is that each side of the strait will develop peacefully,” mentioned Gao, a retired Communist Get together govt who gave solely his surname.
“Peaceable reunification is greatest. It has been 75 years because the liberation of China, and everyone seems to be wanting ahead to a peaceable reunification of the 2 sides,” he mentioned.
Chen agreed, saying he “hoped” the opposition candidate, the Beijing-leaning Kuomintang Get together – Hou Yu-ih – would defeat ruling Democratic Progressive Get together candidate and frontrunner Lai Ching-te. Beijing has labeled Lai a harmful separatist.
“The Kuomintang is just not that nice both, however I hope Hou Yu-ih can win,” the person mentioned.
Within the metropolis, eating places specializing in recent seafood – a giant draw for vacationers from different components of China – had been largely empty at lunchtime as some individuals did their procuring.
On the seaside, others posed for photographs with a bevy of white doves as kite surfers sailed throughout the cyan-colored bay and households with youngsters strolled on the white sand.
