TAIPEI – Taiwan conducted its annual Han Kuang military exercises last week, a series of war drills designed to prepare for a potential conflict. Our team traveled to the island to observe the exercises and speak with military officials and politicians.
While a typhoon disrupted some of the air force drills, other exercises proceeded across Taiwan. Throughout the week, troops simulated attacks against mock invading forces and practiced rapid response drills.
“With such a significant threat looming, any level of preparation is never enough,” said MP Wang Ting Yu, co-chair of Taiwan’s defense and foreign relations committee. “The next few years, perhaps three to five years, will be a crucial period for Asia and the world. If we take the right steps, we can deter or delay a potential conflict,” he told .
China claims the democratically governed island as its own. Taiwanese officials maintain that deterrence is their best defense.
One example of Taiwan’s defensive strategy is the island’s “porcupine strategy”. Taiwanese researchers explain that by deploying numerous small defensive mechanisms, the military could make an attack too costly to be worthwhile.
“We are trying to acquire more precision weapons, both long-range and short-range missiles, air defense weaponry, anti-tank missiles, and even portable weapons like Stinger and Javelin missiles. This will make Taiwan like a porcupine. China can attack Taiwan, but they will be hurt,” said Jyh-Shyang Sheu, a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research.
says it needs to invest in Western training and more weaponry. “The Taiwanese military needs real battle experience. That’s what we can learn from our allies. And second, in the next few years, our indigenous submarines will become a major part of our defense capabilities, capable of defending our country,” Wang said.
In April, Washington approved a $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The United States is also Taiwan’s largest arms supplier. Earlier this year, China sanctioned 12 U.S. defense-related companies for arms sales to Taiwan in retaliation after the U.S. sanctioned Chinese companies linked to Russia.
While some analysts believe a blockade is more likely than an invasion, tension along the Taiwan Strait is a frequent topic of conversation among civilians. The anxiety is so pronounced that some residents are considering fleeing the island.
“My friends ask me why I want to study abroad, and I tell them it’s because I want to get a visa elsewhere and take my whole family away,” said Fanyi Chao, a Taiwanese college student studying in California.
This fear is not universal in Taipei. Others told our team they believe tensions will never escalate into an invasion. “We have a Chinese saying: the barking dog will not bite people. So, they (China) are always barking, but they don’t have the guts to fight people,” said a man named Peter, who declined to provide his last name.
Taiwan, however, is drawing parallels between itself and Ukraine. The government says it is holding talks with Kyiv on .
“The Russian-Ukrainian situation provides valuable lessons, and we must further secure the peace of the Taiwan Strait,” said Taiwan’s new Foreign Minister, Lin Chia-Lung, in his first briefing with foreign press since taking office earlier this year.
These lessons are foremost in the minds of civilians who express doubts about Western allies coming to the island’s aid.
“Because of the Ukraine-Russia war, I want to learn more about this area. In the future, if a war breaks out, it might give me a chance to protect myself,” said Eric Luo. The 30-year-old man is among those spending their free time learning to use firearms. As guns are illegal in Taiwan, students practice with realistic airsoft guns.
“I’m a person who wants to be prepared for any situation, but peace must be the most important thing,” said another student, Jason Chang.
Across the board, this sentiment remains consistent. Civilians in training say they want to know how to protect themselves but repeatedly emphasize that they desperately hope it never comes to that.
“Our fathers and grandfathers experienced wars. We are the children of that generation, so we pass our knowledge to the next generation of young people”. Chi-yi Zang, an instructor at the training camp told . “Whether there will be a war or not, it’s not something we ordinary people can decide, but in the face of a war, it’s up to us to protect ourselves.”