TUESDAY November 2, 2021: 'Being Taiwan' by ZUMA Press award winning photographer Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi who covers the ongoing story in Taiwan under the shadow of China: The increase in Chinese military activity in Taiwan over the last few months has caused global concern. The island of Taiwan, about a hundred miles off China's southeastern coast, has its own democratically elected government, its own flag, its own military. Yet most of the world, including the U.S., won't recognize it as an independent country for fear of upsetting China, which insists it owns Taiwan. Caught in the middle are the island's citizens. Today, Taiwan has all the attributes of a robust independent state, and most Taiwanese want it to stay that way. But Chinese President Xi Jinping appears eager to annex the island, as Mao Zedong's regime did to Tibet in the early 1950s, in the name of 'reunification.' A Chinese invasion of Taiwan would constitute the biggest threat to world peace in a generation. There is disagreement and confusion about what Taiwan is. China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province which it has vowed to retake, by force if necessary. But Taiwan argues that it is a sovereign state. Given the huge divide between these two positions, most other countries seem happy to accept the current ambiguity, whereby Taiwan has virtually all of the characteristics of an independent state, even if its legal status remains unclear. Welcome to: 'Being Taiwan'
© zReportage.com Story of the Week #812: TUESDAY November 2, 2021: 'Being Taiwan' by ZUMA Press award winning photographer Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi who covers the ongoing story in Taiwan under the shadow of China: The increase in Chinese military activity in Taiwan over the last few months has caused global concern. The island of Taiwan, about a hundred miles off China's southeastern coast, has its own democratically elected government, its own flag, its own military. Yet most of the world, including the U.S., won't recognize it as an independent country for fear of upsetting China, which insists it owns Taiwan. Caught in the middle are the island's citizens. Today, Taiwan has all the attributes of a robust independent state, and most Taiwanese want it to stay that way. But Chinese President Xi Jinping appears eager to annex the island, as Mao Zedong's regime did to Tibet in the early 1950s, in the name of 'reunification.' A Chinese invasion of Taiwan would constitute the biggest threat to world peace in a generation. There is disagreement and confusion about what Taiwan is. China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province which it has vowed to retake, by force if necessary. But Taiwan argues that it is a sovereign state. Given the huge divide between these two positions, most other countries seem happy to accept the current ambiguity, whereby Taiwan has virtually all of the characteristics of an independent state, even if its legal status remains unclear. Welcome to: 'Being Taiwan'
People wearing masks walk past a Taiwan flag, amid rising tensions between Taipei and Beijing and military threats from China.
© Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMA Press Wire
A protester uses black paint to deface a portrait of Chinese president Xi Jinping with expletives, during a demonstration organized by human rights and activist groups against China and global totalitarianism.
© Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMA Press Wire
A Chinook Helicopter carrying a large Taiwan flag ever flies over a military camp, as part of a rehearsal for the flyby performance for Taiwan's National Day Celebration, amid rising tensions between Beijing and Taipei and threats from China.
© Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMA Press Wire
A Taiwanese Buddhist wearing a mask pays worships at Lungshan Temple, as the Year of the Ox has come alongside the Lunar New Year Festival, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
© Daniel Ceng Shou-YiZUMA Wire
Taiwanese President TSAI ING-WEN delivers a speech during the National Day Celebration Ceremony, following Chinese President Xi Jinping's vow to unify Taiwan by peaceful means. The self ruled island has been facing intensifying military threats from China including record number of fighter jets cruising near Taiwan.
© Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMA Press Wire
An American made M60-A3 Tank is deployed to carry out a shore defense operation as part of the 37th edition of the HanKuang military exercise. Training including risks assessment and monitoring of enemies have been conducted in the face of the intensifying threats from China.
© Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMA Press Wire
A Burmese resident holds an America flag during a demonstration against the military coup in Myanmar near the American Institute in Taiwan. The assembly, with dozens of Burmese people participating, is aimed at demanding for assistance from the US government on the escalation of violence and killings across Myanmar and requesting the military forces to step down.
© Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMA Wire
ERIC CHU speaks to the media as he wins the chairmanship election of Taiwan's main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) eliminating three other rivals amid China's rising threats. The KMT opposes Taiwan independence and also any Chinese unification under ''One Country, Two Systems'', instead favoring cross-strait relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC) and maintaining Taiwan's status quo under the Constitution of the Republic of China.
© Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMA Press Wire
A lady wears a mask with logos of Taiwan's national Flag during a ride on the subway in Taipei. Legislations to fine people who do not comply with compulsory indoor mask wearing been beefed up by the Taiwanese government in face of the 4th wave of Covid-19 outbreak.
© Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMA Wire
Protesters holding signs reading 'Resist China totalitarianism', during a demonstration organized by human rights and activist groups against China and global totalitarianism.
© Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMA Press Wire
Taiwanese soldiers holding grenade launchers and machine guns during an operation as part of the 37th edition of the HanKuang military exercise. Training including risks assessment and monitoring of enemies have been conducted in the face of the intensifying threats from China, with the US offering arms sale to the self-ruled island.
© Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMA Press Wire
A military helicopter convoy carrying a huge Taiwan flag conducts a flyby rehearsal ahead of Taiwan national day celebration, amid China's growing military threats.
© Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMA Press Wire
A staff member of a Taiwanese airline China Airlines wearing a face mask talks on the phone on Boxing Day, as international and domestic flights have significantly decreased, at Songshan International Airport. Flights between countries have been cancelled or indefinitely postponed due to lockdown measures stepped up to stop the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
© Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMA Wire
Taiwanese soldiers with machine guns on standby during an operation as part of the 37th edition of the Han Kuang military exercise, in the face of increasing military threats from China.
© Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMA Press Wire
A Taiwanese shopper wearing a mask in front of a huge US flag, inside of a fashion store in Taipei. The US recently bolstered support for Taiwan, with Washington offering arms sales and laws to help Taiwan deal with China's pressure.
© Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMA Press Wire
People are seen drinking coffee at a the Starbucks coffee shop in Taoyuan, as the nationwide Covid-19 alert has been lowered from level 3 to level 2, following a decrease in the number of infections and deaths. Starbucks opened its first store in Taiwan in 1998 and now has 501 coffee shops in the country.
© Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMA Press Wire
Taiwanese tea store owner and tea master CHIA YU-CHUANG carefully inspects and pours Chinese teas. Ms Chuang stated 'I want to establish a connection between our nature and the people through the ways of making tea and consumers enjoying different kinds of Chinese teas.'
© Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMA Press Wire
A painting shows an artist painting the portraits of Queen Elizebeth II, Dr Sun Yat Sin and the former chairman of the Chinese Communist Party Mao Zedong, at the Art Taipei Expo 2021. The exhibition comprises of 124 artwork from across the world.
© Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMA Press Wire
A life-size wooden King Boat is set on fire to celebrate the Wangye Worshiping Ceremony (known as the Donggang King Boat Ceremony), a triennial convention that has stood for hundreds of years, in Donggang Township of Pingtung County. This is a week-long ceremony held to ask for help from gods to save the people from pandemics and plagues.
© Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMA Press Wire
A couple kisses under the fall leaves decoration of a foot bridge before Christmas, amidst the spread of the pandemic disease Covid-19.
© Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMA Wire
A girl poses for a picture with a lion painting, at the Art Taipei Expo 2021. The exhibition comprises of 124 artwork from across the world including Taiwan, US, UK and some other European countries.
© Daniel Ceng Shou-Yi/ZUMA Press Wire
