CBS News
By Elizabeth Palmer, Lucy Craft
January 12, 2024 / 7:34 AM EST / CBS News
Taipei, Taiwan — On Saturday, the people of Taiwan will elect a new president. For weeks, the leading candidates have staged boisterous campaign rallies across the small island off China’s east coast. Addressing cheering supporters, they’ve made promises, ridiculed the opposition and worked the crowds — all visible proof of Taiwan’s vibrant, thriving democracy.
But one sobering presence loomed large over the campaign: Chinese President Xi Jinping.