TAIPEI, Taiwan — A resident of mainland China was apparently so beguiled by this island’s coming elections and the promise of democracy that he spent seven hours paddling through the sea in an effort to see them with his own eyes.

The resident, Guo Zhiyong, a 35-year-old man who described himself as a “political researcher,” was apprehended by the Taiwanese Coast Guard on Wednesday morning after reaching the outlying Taiwanese island of Kinmen, said an official, Pu Yu-lin.

Mr. Guo, who told the authorities he comes from the far west region of Xinjiang, set off from coastal Fujian Province on a flotation device made from bamboo and Styrofoam. Mr. Pu said officials had been tracking his progress by radar.

After his arrest, he told Taiwanese reporters that he was inspired to make the perilous journey by Taiwan’s presidential race, which pits the incumbent Ma Ying-jeou against two opponents. “I want to see your elections, with campaign flags flying all over the place,” he said.