TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Over 300 journalists from international media outlets and observers have arrived in Taiwan for the presidential and legislative elections taking place on Saturday (Jan. 11).

As of Friday, there are 235 journalists from 113 media outlets, including correspondents based in Taiwan, who will be covering one of the most contentious and heated electoral events in the history of Taiwan.

Around 107 observers with backgrounds in academia and think tanks have also flown in, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安). A total of 95 observers from 9 groups have come from the U.S. alone to monitor and gain insights into the elections.

The Hudson Institute, American Enterprise Institute, and Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) are among the organizations that have sent representatives to Taiwan for the elections, said Ou.

International media attention has been drawn to the Saturday elections, which have been widely seen as a referendum on the future cross-strait relationship. Reporters present at the media briefing on Thursday (Jan. 9) hail from the U.S., U.K, Japan, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, and Hong Kong, said MOFA.