Xiamen in mainland China across the Taiwan Strait from a beach on Lieyu Island in Kinmen, Taiwan, on Aug. 21.
Photographer: An Rong Xu/Bloomberg
Taiwan’s Ability to Defend Against China Invasion Thrown Into Question
Cross-strait tensions are running high and January’s election might add to them. Yet officials say Taiwan’s military and civil defenses have a way to go if they’re to be able to deter an invading force.
When former US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien visited Taipei earlier this year, he suggested that one million AK47-wielding Taiwanese “around every corner” and “in every apartment block” would be an effective deterrent to any Chinese invasion plans.
It didn’t go down well.