Niko is 23 and training as a 'civilian warrior'. She's one of thousands doing the same in Taiwan

As tensions in the Taiwan Strait continue to rise, some Taiwanese residents are learning about modern warfare and joining civilian courses in case of a possible attack from China.

In Taiwan, several civil defence groups teach residents skills such as shooting and first aid in preparation for a possible attack from China Credit: SBS Dateline

In abandoned buildings around Taiwan’s capital city, Taipei, men in full combat gear and armed with air guns run a simulation.

They are civilians who conduct military drills in the event of an attack from China.

Taiwan is a self-governing island, and is viewed by China as a breakaway province. Tensions and talks of possible war have recently been rising.

In April, China carried out three days of large-scale combat exercises, simulating sealing off Taiwan to sea and air traffic. Days later, Taiwan staged its first civil defence drill to rehearse its response to a military attack.

Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra in August 2022, Xiao Qian, Chinese ambassador to Australia, said China was waiting for ‘peaceful reunification’ with Taiwan but didn’t rule out the option of using ‘all necessary means’ if compelled to do so. 

“We’ll never allow Taiwan to be separated from China,” he said.  

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has had a ripple effect across the globe, and has inspired some Taiwanese citizens to train to defend their island if tension in the region was to escalate.

“If anyone wanted to invade your home, it would be natural for you to stand up and protect everything you cherish,” one member of the Taiwan Militia Association, a civilian defence group, told SBS Dateline.

“We fight for our freedom and democracy and for our way of life with the rule of law and human rights.

“If these things were lost, it would be miserable for us to live under China’s rule.”

Chiany, a member of another civilian defence group called Taizhung, says most people have never faced the threat of war.

“I've seen the battlefields, but mostly on films. Now it may suddenly go from the screen to real life for us. Indeed, most people are unprepared for it,” she said.

Members of the Taizhung civilian defence group say the possibility of a military conflict with the powerful neighbour is 'stunning and scary' and the majority of Taiwanese aren't prepared. Credit: SBS Dateline

China has the largest army in the world, with over two million active soldiers and 510,000 reservists.

Taiwan, by comparison, has an estimated 169,000 active military personnel, most of whom are volunteers. While it’s a fraction of China’s armed forces, there’s estimated to be more than 1.6 million reservists in Taiwan, according to data from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based international affairs think tank.

Last year, Taiwanese semiconductor tycoon Robert Tsao pledged NT$600 million ($28.8 million) to Kuma Academy, a non-profit civil defence organisation, to train more than three million ‘civilian warriors’.

The academy runs courses on modern warfare as well as rescue and first aid.

Niko, 23, a student of Kuma Academy, says the classes offer her an understanding of the political tensions that threaten her home.

“I want to know more about a possible Taiwan Strait War because Russia and Ukraine have been at war for a long time,” she said. “I think Ukraine’s situation is very similar to Taiwan’s. I want to know more about it so I can protect myself and others in an emergency.”