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Millions of voters in Taiwan will vote for a new president on Saturday, in a decision that will shape the island’s relationship with China.
Tsai Ing-wen, running for a second term, favours the status quo, and does not want closer ties with Beijing.
Meanwhile her main rival, Han Kuo-yu, promises to ease tensions with China.
Two years ago, Ms Tsai’s party lost the local elections, but she is now ahead in the polls – which some observers attribute to the Hong Kong protests.
Ms Tsai has expressed support for the protesters, a popular stance with those who fear Taiwan being overtaken by mainland China.
Elections for Taiwan’s legislature, where Ms Tsai’s party hold a majority, are also taking place.
About 19 million people are registered to vote in Saturday’s election.
What is Taiwan’s status?
For practical purposes, Taiwan is an independent state – it has its own elected government, constitution and military.
But China has claimed sovereignty over it since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. It says Taiwan must eventually be reunited with China, by force if necessary.
China refuses to have diplomatic relations with any country that recognises Taiwan as a sovereign nation.
Ms Tsai wants to “maintain the existing mechanisms”, according to her website – meaning she does not want to compromise Taiwan’s de facto independence.
In a speech on the Hong Kong protests in June, she said “anyone who tries to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty and democracy, or use them as political bargaining chips, will fail”.
She had also rejected Taiwan ever operating under the “one country, two systems” political system used in Hong Kong since it returned to China in 1997 – calling it “not viable”.
Speaking to the BBC this week, she said Taiwan should “learn a lesson” from Hong Kong: “If we don’t insist [on maintaining Taiwan’s independence], we’ll be losing everything we have now.”
Mr Han and his party the Kuomintang (KMT) favour closer ties with China – which they say will bring economic growth – but do not seek unification.
The KMT once ruled China, before fleeing to Taiwan in 1949 after losing to the communist forces in the civil war.
Mr Han made a high-profile visit to Hong Kong and China in March, and has reportedly said a formal declaration of Taiwanese independence would be “scarier then syphilis”.
A third candidate, James Soong, is running for his minor People First Party.