The geography of the Taiwan Strait, characterised by choppy seas, and rugged and mountainous terrain between potential landing zones and Taipei, provides the island with a defensive advantage.
China’s aggression in the Indo-Pacific over the last few months, from its strategic maneuvring of maritime forces in the South China Sea, to the successful passage of new legislation in Hong Kong that, reportedly, erodes the financial hub’s democratic character, has rekindled fears within the power corridors of Taipei of whether the island nation, home to around 24 million people, is adequately prepared to rebuff a military invasion.