Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine over a year ago, many Taiwanese citizens began drawing comparisons between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in their quest to regain lost territory. Encouraged by Ukraine’s ability to stave off the Russian military, record numbers of Taiwanese citizens have begun taking combat-readiness and first-aid courses as the threat of a Chinese invasion of the island nation seems much closer to reality. A popular saying among Taiwanese is “Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow.” One resident of Taipei, Taiwan’s capital said, “The unity displayed by all Ukrainians has been inspiring to us and it should also serve as a warning to China that they should think twice about attacking us.”
