Dispatch

The TV Show That Divided Taiwan

Even imagining a potential Chinese invasion of the island has become a political act. November 26, 2025, 2:00 PM Comment icon View Comments ( )

A group of troops holding guns stand at attention on a rocky shore, facing out at the sea at dusk.

TAIPEI, Taiwan—You could be forgiven for believing that Taiwan is an island preparing for war. Chinese warplanes skirt Taiwan’s airspace almost every day. A Taiwanese billionaire has pledged funds to arm and train 3 million civilian sharpshooters to fight China. Last month, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te announced plans to build an air defense system similar to Israel’s Iron Dome.

But the reality on the ground is something closer to this: Taiwan is an island where some people are trying d

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