On Jan. 11, Taiwan will elect a new government, its seventh since 1996 when a constitutional amendment gave Taiwanese a say in who would represent them at the highest levels of island politics.
If projections hold, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) President Tsai Ing-wen will be re-elected for a second term, although the party's legislative majority may be reduced.
As in 2016, the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang party has been plagued by anti-mainland sentiment, sparked this time by unrest in Hong Kong, along with the party's choice of presidential candidate Han Kuo-yu, whose populist appeal has declined significantly since his surprise victory in last year's Kaohsiung mayoral election.