Taiwan’s presidential candidates have expressed a desire for peaceful relations with Beijing. China has described Jan. 13 elections on the self-ruled island as a choice between war and peace and stepped up harassment of the territory it claims as its own.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan’s presidential candidates expressed desire for peaceful relations with Beijing, which has described Jan. 13 elections on the self-ruled island as a choice between war and peace and stepped up harassment of the territory that China claims as its own.

William Lai, the front-runner and currently Taiwan’s vice president from the ruling Democratic People’s Party, said in a televised debate Saturday that he was open to communicating with the government in Beijing, which has refused to talk to him or President Tsai Ing-wen.