The Taiwanese island of Penghu is a popular holiday destination. But since it lies between Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China – and China is threatening to invade – Taiwan is practicing here for emergencies. With frighteningly realistic scenarios.
It is September 9, 2025. The day when Chinese warships approach the Taiwanese island of Penghu and Beijing carries out its long-standing threat: attack on Taiwan.
The whole thing is still just a scenario and an exercise by Taiwan’s civil rescue services. But in the port of Makong, the main town of Penghu, that day is actually like after a bomb attack.
Large backdrop walls show images of overturned trucks and burning houses. Extras mimic the seriously injured. Dozens of emergency services from the fire brigade and police follow a meticulous schedule – rescue, extinguish, recover. And the word war keeps falling.
“Fear that it will turn out like in Ukraine”
In reality, so far it has not been Chinese warships, but ferries from Taiwan that are mooring here. Thousands of visitors come to the resort island of Penghu, which lies between China and Taiwan, every day during the high season.
Thoughtful voices mingled with the holiday mood. “Of course I’m worried,” says tourist Hsu Hsiu-e, who strolls through the streets of Makong with her children. “We are afraid that the whole thing will turn out like it did in Ukraine.”
Penghu is a popular holiday destination. It is not hidden to many tourists that they practice on Penghu in case of war.
Civil defense meanwhile geared towards war
Many guests are aware that Taiwan’s military is active on Penghu. Soldiers regularly practice defending the island against the potential enemy, the People’s Republic of China, on the beaches. The noise of the gunfire during the nightly exercises even wakes some visitors from their sleep.
In addition, there is the annual civil defense exercise on the island, 70 percent of which is now geared towards war. Firefighter Yan Hung-wei is also there. “The more different situations we go through and the better we prepare, the faster we can react to all kinds of disasters and solve problems in the future.”
70 percent of civil defense exercises on Penghu are now geared towards war.
Height defensive readiness the population
Su Tzu-Yun, director of the government-affiliated Institute for National Defense and Security Studies in Taipei, also believes Taiwan is well positioned for a possible attack. 12,000 soldiers are stationed at the Penghu outpost alone. The air defense is one of the best in the world.
“Taiwan is in a better position than Ukraine,” said the military expert. Added to this is the high level of defense readiness among the population. According to surveys, 70 percent of Taiwanese are willing to go to war to defend their homeland.
Fading prospect of taking Taiwan non-militarily
It remains to be seen whether China will be deterred by this in the long term. The People’s Republic continues to upgrade. The head of state has set the goal of joining Taiwan by force if necessary.
According to the Japanese political scientist Ken Jimbo, professor at Keio University in Tokyo, a dangerous spiral is imminent. On the one hand, Beijing increasingly feels that it is militarily strong enough to invade Taiwan. On the other hand, it sees its prospects of reaching the goal by non-military means, as was still possible in Hong Kong, dwindling.
Is war inevitable?
So is a war inevitable within a few years? Nobody on Penghu can say whether and when the emergency could occur. Fireman Yang therefore seeks divine help: he prays regularly in the temple of the sea goddess Mazu – not only for himself and his family. “I hope and pray that there will be peace in the world and that there will be no more wars. That would be best for everyone.”
In the evening, visitors to Penghu flock to the fireworks to see the sea, where the island’s defense had just been practiced. The explosions in the sky above the Taiwan Strait – they are still of a peaceful nature today.
You can see this and other reports in the Weltspiegel on Sunday, June 11, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. in the first.