In Taiwan, Flight Plans for China Conflict

Taiwan’s politics have long been defined by tensions with China, which claims the island as its own. Over the past several years, China has stepped up military exercises and Taiwanese leaders have responded by asserting the island’s self-rule — a tension that shows little sign of easing with the weekend’s election of current vice president Lai Ching-te to the presidency.

Across Taiwan, individuals are formulating their own responses to the specter of conflict. Our previous Big Take episode showed one young military veteran’s determination to defend Taiwan set him on a tragic course to Ukraine. In this episode, Bloomberg reporters Wan Chien-Hua and Yang Yang explore those who are plotting flights to safety. Some attend civil defense fairs, which teach where to shelter and drill kids on five ways to protect from missile strikes (plug ears; open mouth). Others accumulate passports to foreign countries that may promise more peaceful lives.

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