Between the lengthening of compulsory military service, the purchase of weapons and the self-organization of civilians, Taiwan is more and more visibly preparing for a conflict with Beijing… in the hope of avoiding it.
By Rémy Bourdillon, correspondent in Taiwan
Dave a high school in Taipei, a few rowdy young men couldn’t hide their joy at having finished the day’s classes. Among them, En-Cheh, 17, immediately regains his seriousness when asked about the military service he will soon perform: since the government’s announcement made in the last days of 2022, he knows that he will have to serve for one year in the army, against four months currently.
“I think it’s a good thing, because we have no choice: we have to get involved in the defense of Taiwan,” said En-Cheh. Democracy and freedom are important to me, I don’t want a government that controls everything like in China. Behind him, his friend Lee is more frustrated: “It’s ridiculous, because our classmates born before January 1, 2005 will only be four months old, then they can carry out their professional or school projects. »
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