Last war in Ukraine: Germany’s Uniper writes off €987m loss on Nord Stream 2 loan

People at a rally against Russia's invasion of Ukraine in Taipei on SundayPeople at a rally against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in Taipei on Sunday © Ann Wang/Reuters

Before Russia invaded Ukraine, Wu Hao-chin had never heard of Javelin anti-tank missiles. Wu is now discussing their merits in urban warfare with his friends and argues that Taiwan should train its reservists in their use.

“Taiwan is very peaceful, so I never thought about war. But watching the war in Ukraine on the news, we realized that it could happen here too,” said the 22-year-old economics student.

“It is heroic how Ukrainians defend their homeland. We may have to do the same when China attacks, but we are not ready.”

Russia’s attack on Ukraine is a wake-up call for Taiwan, where there is now growing awareness that the Chinese Communist Party could follow through on its warning and seize the island it claims by force.

“This Ukrainian crisis reminds us that this threat is very real,” said Ho Cheng-hui, a law professor who last year founded the Kuma Academy, which aims to educate the public about the struggle and strengthen its will to resist. “A lot of people have suddenly become more focused on self-defense.”

Enoch Wu, a former special forces officer who has trained more than 8,000 people in defense and disaster response, also noted a surge in public interest.

“We planned to launch a series of workshops on sustainability in May or June, but decided to move everything to this weekend,” he said. “Within an hour of the ad appearing, it was fully booked.”

Read more about Taiwan’s reaction to the war in Ukraine here.