Former Kinmen deputy county chief Li Wen-liang was first in line to register for the island's top job, running as an independent on a platform of opening Kinmen up to Taiwan, China, and the wider world.

• Kinmen's future hinges on cross-strait ties, and the pitch is to turn the island from a border outpost into a regional hub.
• Transport comes first: cheaper, easier flights and ferries, plus a new Taiwan-Kinmen ship line.
• Health and elderly care are next, with neighborhood exercise and care centers aimed at keeping older residents active.
• Schools would get international, English-heavy programs run privately but publicly funded, from kindergarten through high school.
• Tourism would lean on Kinmen's spot between Taipei and Xiamen to pull in travelers from both sides and abroad.

Outlook: The race for Kinmen county chief is now formally open, and cross-strait access will be the issue that decides it.