He has stocked up on food, taken up weapons training and has weekly gatherings with his civil defence group, where they develop their survival skills.

Local media in Taiwan reports that around half a million people have voluntarily enlisted in civil defence training. Wu is one of them. “When the war comes, things are going to get tough,” he tells us. His fear is that the Taiwanese military and reserve forces may not be large enough to withstand a military invasion by China, prompting him and his peers to organise and train for war. “You have to start years before it actually comes,” Wu says.

While many Taiwanese believe China’s rhetoric around ‘reunification’ remains a distant threat, tensions between Beijing and Taipei have escalated dramatically in recent years. Wu believes that fostering a close connection with his training companions will be what protects him, his wife and his three-year-old son in case of emergency. “Being in a group like this, I’m reminded of my purpose. When the war comes, there’s someone to fight for.”

Credits

Filmed by: Joseph Mangat and Wang Chun Hong

Produced by: Tierney Bonini and Antonia Perello

Field Producer: Allen Chen

Edited by: Joseph Mangat and Antonia Perello

Sound recording: Ken Wu

Sound Mixing: Linus Bergman

Colourist: Catherine Hallinan

Senior Editor: Donald Cameron