Taiwan boosting military readiness amid heightened tensions
China views Taiwan as part of its territorial territory, despite having no control over it. Threats of military annexation by China towards the island are not uncommon. A training academy situated in Taipei's backstreets prepares Taiwanese citizens for potential acts of aggression.
A Saturday morning finds forty individuals, primarily young women, in the Kuma Academy's office building - their objective being to learn about Taiwan's current defense. According to 27-year-old Su, her main motivation for joining was gaining insight into Taiwan's defense constitution.
The island nation, with a population of over 23 million, is geographically separated from mainland China by the Taiwan Strait, which at its narrowest width spans approximately 130 kilometers (Taiwan Strait). China's Communist government asserts Taiwan as part of its territory and intends to regain control, despite having never ruled there and possessing an autonomous government for years. Beijing's claims are rooted in historical evidence: Taiwan was assigned to the Republic of China post-World War II. Subsequently, a civil war occurred between Communist forces and supporters of the Nationalist Kuomintang during this time. The Nationalists eventually lost and fled to Taiwan, where they continued to govern as the Republic of China. In 1949, Mao Zedong established the People's Republic of China in Beijing. China has hinted at a potential military invasion if Taiwan does not achieve reunification peacefully.
Evolving a War-Conscious Mindset
Co-founder Shen Po-yang, known as Puma Shen in Taiwan, explains that the academy's primary aim is to foster a war-conscious mindset among the citizens. If China does indeed launch an attack on the island, Shen stresses that people should refrain from panic, and the knowledge imparted by the academy would aid them in defending themselves and others. The academy claims to have trained over 40,000 people since October 2022, with attendees ranging from school-aged children to military veterans. Almost a third of those attending are women.
Participant Su attributes the high female participation to men, who have previous military experience in Taiwan, whereas newcomers, particularly women, hold fewer preconceived notions about the topic. Academy speaker Aaron Huang underscores this point, stating that men with experience in public service sectors, such as firefighting or disaster relief, typically outnumber women in attendance. The morning sessions kick off with a war theory class led by a professor, who discusses "gray zone tactics," a term used to describe China's routine actions like sending fighter jets to fly over the Taiwan Strait's demilitarized zone. The professor even simulates an invasion scenario. This approach closely mirrors China's exercise conducted at the end of May, during which its Navy, Air Force, and Army enacted a blockade around Taiwan and nearby islands, testing their capabilities to cut off potential escape routes and prevent external assistance.
Beijing chose to conduct the military drills as punishment, since Taiwan's new President Lai Ching-te had taken office, and China perceived his inaugural speech as expressing pro-independence intentions. Beijing considers Lai, as well as his pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), separatists. Taiwan has never officially declared itself an independent country, and many nations find themselves embroiled in major diplomatic disputes as a result. Only a select few countries recognize Taiwan officially. The United States, Taiwan's closest ally, does not recognize Taiwan, although it has vowed to provide support in the event of an attack.
In the academy, one professor discusses the role of propaganda in online platforms, particularly social media. Taiwanese politicians have accused China of interfering with public opinion prior to the January elections. Ariel You, one of the participants, seems thrilled about the advice, proclaiming that it helps her to stay wary of the information she consumes on the internet. Puma Shen emphasizes the need for stronger cybersecurity. He insists that Chinese hackers pose significant threats and seeks increased security measures on platforms like Tiktok against Chinese propaganda. Despite the gravity of the topics discussed, the atmosphere in the seminar room remains light. Participant Ariel You expresses eagerness for the first aid section, as she had learned little about bandaging techniques before and wishes to refresh her skills.
However, the impending danger of war is made painfully clear when the teaching nurse screens a video of a Ukrainian soldier whose leg is lost due to a mine explosion, followed by the soldier applying a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. Several attendees shield themselves behind their course materials to avoid witnessing the disturbing imagery. Soon after, they practice tourniquet application techniques and carry injured individuals to safety. Su reveals that the training has made her feel slightly more composed: "Now, I realize that it won't be easy for China when they plan to attack us."
