Voting begins in Taiwan elections that will shape island's future

TAIPEI -- Polling stations opened at 8 a.m. Saturday for Taiwan's presidential and legislative elections -- a high-stakes contest that will shape the future of one of Asia's leading liberal democracies and its ties with the world's two superpowers.

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential candidate, Vice President Lai Ching-te, is competing against Kuomintang (KMT) candidate Hou Yu-ih, a former police chief and mayor of the island's most populous city, New Taipei City, and also Ko Wen-je, leader of the 4-year-old Taiwan People's Party (TPP) and former Taipei mayor, who is challenging the two main political parties.