Taiwan free to decide, under duressBy Yvonne ChiuTaiwan was briefly thrust back in the news recently, but global coverage and analysis largely overlooked an essential voice — that of Taiwan’s people — and focused primarily on the US-China conflict, leaving many Taiwanese to wonder if their interests were even a consideration in the debate. Great power conflict tends to relegate all other actors to pieces to be moved around a chessboard, but this perspective is dangerous. These continuous and increasing threats hold Taiwan hostage, so people consider the ramifications of a bloody and devastating invasion of their country, and answer accordingly. Four generations have lived in Taiwan with the looming specter of Chinese invasion. At this point, however, it cannot be adequately discerned what Taiwanese really want — only what they want under duress.

Source: Taipei Times August 25, 2022 22:18 UTC