What Taiwan can learn from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Fighting spirit and the right Western arms may stymie a powerful foe
ON A FRIDAY night in Taipei, dozens of people gather in a bookstore to learn what to do if war comes to Taiwan. The shop window is plastered with slogans denouncing China and supporting freedom in Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong. Nearby is a new protest wall: a Ukrainian flag speckled with Post-it notes in English, Mandarin and Taiwanese. “Stand with Ukraine”, says one. “Fuck Putin”, exclaims another. A third declares: “China, Russia: langbeiweijian”, ie, a wolf and a bei (a mythical beast) colluding to do evil. This refers to a traditional story of two deformed creatures—a wolf with long front legs and short hind ones, and a bei with the opposite impairment—collaborating to devour sheep.
This article appeared in the Briefing section of the print edition under the headline ““War is here””
Briefing April 23rd 2022
From the April 23rd 2022 edition
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