Asia | Self help

Taiwan wants to prove that it is serious about defence

Its incoming president, Lai Ching-te, will face new challenges

Photograph: Getty Images
|Taipei

THE LESSON drawn from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is obvious to Taiwanese officials: if you want the world to help in your struggle against an overbearing neighbour, you must first fight back fiercely yourselves. Taiwan’s outgoing president, Tsai Ing-wen, has long seemed to understand as much. She has overhauled the island’s approach to defence since coming to office in 2016.

Explore more

This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Self help”

From the May 18th 2024 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Asia

The scary new map of the South China Sea

Fresh fights over reefs and shoals test America’s credibility

Could Japan and South Korea finally become friends?

Younger generations are less concerned with their countries shared history


Taiwan is trying to learn from the wars in Gaza and Ukraine

Could it repel a potential Chinese invasion?


Myanmar’s military junta is battered by Chinese-backed forces

The Brotherhood Alliance continues its string of shock victories

Why Indonesia’s horror films are booming

Directors such as Joko Anwar are taking old ghost stories to new heights

Welcome to India, where the streets have four names

Constantly renaming cities, roads and stations is pointless and counterproductive