Would Taiwan’s youth fight a war against mainland China? It depends how they are asked

Most young people in Taiwan would choose not to fight in a potential cross-strait conflict despite growing military threats from Beijing, according to informal interviews by the South China Morning Post.

In several interviews, Taiwanese youth revealed a reluctance to fight that stemmed mainly from concerns about the life-threatening nature of war and Taiwan’s military disadvantage against mainland China, described recently by Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te as a “foreign hostile force”.

Other reasons included doubts over whether the United States or its allies, such as Japan, would intervene, a perceived lack of preparedness, and the belief that war was unlikely within the next five years.

“Of course, I don’t want to go to war if given a choice because it is a matter of life and death,” said Yu Po-cheng, 25, a Taipei-based sports nutrition supply worker.

“But in the event of a mobilisation, people our age will definitely be drafted if a cross-strait war breaks out, meaning we will have to deal with it whether we want to or not,” he added.

Yu’s colleague, Lu Yi-wei, said it was every reservist’s duty to help defend Taiwan, but he had no desire to fight if there was no obligation.