Taipei (AFP) - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly opposition Kuomintang party on Wednesday nominated Hou Yu-ih, a popular mayor, as its candidate for the island's presidential election next year.
The poll in January is widely being viewed as a referendum on President Tsai Ing-wen's handling of self-ruled Taiwan's relations with China, which have soured during her tenure.
Tsai does not accept China's claim that Taiwan is its territory, and during her two terms Beijing has ramped up military and diplomatic pressure on the island.
In contrast, the Kuomintang (KMT) traditionally favours warmer ties with China.
Hou said during a KMT party meeting on Wednesday that "safeguarding" Taiwan and bringing prosperity would be his main aims if elected.
"At the moment, our country faces the risk of war under the international circumstances.Domestically, we are fighting against each other while our young people can't see a future," the 65-year-old said.
"We need radical change.We need a change of government...Taiwan is our home.Everyone should stand united," he added.
A former police chief, Hou entered politics in 2010 when he was appointed by then New Taipei City mayor and current KMT chairman Eric Chu as his deputy, a position he held for eight years.
He became mayor of New Taipei City -- Taiwan's biggest constituency with around four million residents -- in 2018 local elections, and was re-elected last year.
During a recent city council session, when asked to clarify his position on China, Hou said he opposed Taiwan independence as well as the "one country, two systems" arrangement under which Hong Kong is governed as part of China.
Beijing has proposed the arrangement for Taiwan but a majority of Taiwanese people have rejected the model, especially after China crushed political freedoms in Hong Kong despite promising a degree of autonomy to the city.
The KMT chose Hou over tech giant Foxconn's billionaire founder Terry Gou, who congratulated the New Taipei City mayor on his nomination Wednesday.
Hou will face off against Taiwan's Vice President William Lai, 63, who has been more outspoken about independence than Tsai.
In January Lai said he considers Taiwan to already be a "sovereign country", adding that there is "no need to declare independence again".
Beijing has said any move by Taiwan towards a formal declaration would prompt a military response.
