economic crisis is leaving its fishermen on dry land b rush manager as though stories a mole coming up next on d. w. 's asia. i been for solon, i'll be back next hour with more international headlines for you say tooth . ah. and he tagged along to this visual hotspots in germany. europe and

the world d. w. travel extremely, we're in, ah, it's midnight and we're in south taiwan. the headed toward an area where military exercises are scheduled to take place is closed. ah, it's september 13th, 2021. the 37th annual military drill will start at dawn. and these high school students from the capitol, taipei are here to watch the show. i just come here. this year is last year. when you going to do the feature of just upload your la instagram and that everyone

knows taiwan defense, powerful. why is it important to show you? are we want love words to know we are a country not now stem to the p posted boundary of china. one up time wants leading broadcasters, t v b s has the best spot right now. we accompany ting? ting? near the broadcaster star presenter we are going to go to that. the vantage points are the only one of these girls were i was recall are the less for so when this kind of platform, so feel with fear less than 100 meters away. a war game is already underway. the airports have just been destroyed by the chinese army . taiwan needs to use the highway to start and land. it's fighter jets.

ah! we come across a surprising scene. the soldiers have swapped their weapons for brooms and dust pans. our photographer explains what's going on. if i come and jabber their clearing obstacles from the road to make sure the aircraft can start and land safely on sundays and jump to prevent accidents, the highway has to be as clean and smooth as a runway. now the military exercises can begin i don't know about us. all right. come to the 37th. major military exercise in 3 aircraft models are taking part to day to be genji, sound good idea, the f. 16. you'll be our very own mirage. 2001 course the each,

okay rater equipped to aircraft i want the largest broadcasters are reporting live. the military also supplies stills and video material. a special guest is here to see the fighter jets, early warning aircraft. and the pilots, the president of taiwan, sy, in when she's the 1st woman to leave the country. as commander in chief of the armed forces, she's here in uniform moon. these exercises lasted 5 days and have taken place since 1984 the military films, the drills like this one showing the response to a chinese attack. it's

a deliberate demonstration of military might. that's especially directed at time. one's neighbor and rival the people's republic of china with but few people realize where taiwan is true. power lies. though taiwan, population is only around $23000000.00. the global leading semiconductor manufacture is based here. d s m. c is one of the most influential companies in the world. from the automotive industry, to computers, smartphones, and gaming consuls. many sectors depend on components made in taiwan, which has helped the island territory prosper with strong exports and one of asia most important seaports. tie ones,

economy grew some 6 percent and 2021. 1 of the best growth rates in the world. despite its economic clout, tie one finds itself in an unusual situation. only a handful of nations recognize it as an independent country. taiwan has its own flag, national anthem, currency, and democratically elected president and government. but it is still not officially recognized by any major power. and it's all down till the country's complicated relationship with china. mouse at tongs communist party has never forgotten that it's greatest opponent junk. i check the previous leader of china retreated to taiwan in 1949 defect or creating a new country. the people's republic of china has never recognized taiwan and regards it as one of its own provinces. chinese president,

she jin pink continues to insist that taiwan must be re unified with john woman. we do not rule out the possible use of force. most taiwanese agree that they should keep a low profile rather than risk provoking china, even if it costs i won their independence. they see that as the best way to preserve peace and economic freedom to louisville. so those are those that are sold so everyone knows ty, once an independent country, we don't need to shouted from the rooftop, said over. but an increasing number of taiwanese are beginning to advocate for independence, including many young people. even though that risk aggression from china was not on the women's background. if a conflict erupt, my friends and i are prepared to go to war and we see the game ends on the freedom of the press. marriage equality, freedom of speech,

and the right to protest and digital democracy spearheaded by a popular transgender cabinet minister in the capital type pe, nearly everyone rejects the chinese dictatorship and reunification. a small group though, continues to insist that taiwan belongs to china. in time with these politics, 2 very different worlds collide. there are middle fingers who go into politics and former gangsters who sparked violence between the 2 camps. how do people in taiwan deal with the situation of living in a country that official does not exist? we want to know more about the last bastion of political resistance to communist party china. ah, most time when you share the same goal for things to remain as they are,

wayne also doesn't want to provoke china, but opposes reunification is on the conservative side as 2 children and lives in an upscale type, a neighborhood. he values the stability and safety of taiwan and wants to keep it that way. we don't have shootings all the time. we don't have, you know, say we don't have jihad is, you know, trying to blow themselves up. you know, we have freedom of speech. we have a very democratic society or national healthcare. i mean, i'll tell you a secret. all of my friends who live in america would fly to taiwan to do their help check. it's all wrong, good place to live, you know, and i will come french, people to come to taiwan. seriously. it's a great country. taiwan has been good to wayne and his family as part of the country's top one percent. he also does business with china.

they don't, don't, don't go to your cell phone. i see me. the businessman runs 6 english language school including one in china as he heads off in his luxury electric car. he has a telephone meeting with the chinese schools, director, me when i wanted to ask how the students are doing right now. and they're doing well. but if you knew students are struggling, i want them to get tutoring, but we don't have enough teachers. me. the school in china accounts for 10 percent of wayne's business. so it comes as little surprised that the business man wants to avoid stepping on chinese toes. that's true for many here. more than 40 percent of taiwan exports to go to china, the can't hear you

get dancing. ready to go to de wayne is bringing his daughter to one of the 6 schools. he runs it's about 430 in the afternoon. come to our school after they're trying to school to get a us curriculum. if we were to calculate our students class time throughout the day, but our program, it will be longer than a full time work schedule. so how many kids work very hard? most? how many curves actually a for us only about 5 percent of families here can afford to send their children to schools like this when it's now headed to his mother's place. he checks in on her every day. lisa runs the show here. she found at the sick school 30 years ago,

her son now hand off the day to day management. but she still the one in charge. and when it comes to finances, she's all business tuition fees that you know, you mean for school next year, february to june on that day to day, lisa has an appointment with 2 bankers with an annual turnover of $4000000.00 a year. she's looking for investment at my my mom told me he bought stock in apple. he's happy because the return is 14 percent. my value keeps rising. we're good, but i want to invest in new in china. she gave neo been doing quite well since when public business is good for lisa and wayne. and they

don't want politics to interfere with things that people have grown used to living in peace and happiness from help. and that's how it should be nice. i almost shall system how he will can by what they want. ok, 8 what they want. things are going well and then she ends him. but if taiwan were to become independent or decide to reject the status quo, this area, our society would become divided into how i renewed it. so and hate would grow among taiwanese, incidental until, you know, there is a woman i lisa is satisfied with the meeting that she's always felt comfortable calling the shots about. good people in taiwan have grown, used to their way of life and freedoms. and they want to continue doing business with china. in other words, taiwan wants to benefit from china's economic might,

without the drawbacks of dictatorship, a loo. that's why i'm close to his school. because a, when it comes to it, i do not want to risk my business. i do not want to risk my, my family. i'm in, you know, some people asked me, old high one is now recognized. so what i don't care because of my, the taiwanese password on of del i use, you know, we could try where we everywhere. you know, did, let's be honest. he could you compare to tony's password versus the people's republic of china, passport of the town. his passport can go more places in china password. how long will taiwan be able to walk this tightrope? i placate its powerful neighbor and rival especially given that some taiwanese are chafing at the status quo. like roy, who's 25 and advocates for taiwanese independence, blue vocal gadget,

who in chicago, the people in my neighbourhood don't like mail, but they don't like people who demand taiwanese independence and who resist to the status quo. roy lives in a conservative district in a suburb of taipei, which looks down. people like him. he's on his way to his apartment, where his girlfriend is waiting for him. a love and home they live in a 3 room apartment which belongs to royce grandmother. roy met one way, 4 years ago at a political gathering. she has a time when he's father and a chinese mother. young. something that occasionally bothers her just all of this week with an accent, and people often ask me you chinese, i don't like that because i regard myself as tywon a long way. his mother is worried that her partner is time when he

was when you, once my mother asked me, who will you vote for? i was, i told her i would vote for sy in when. who's now president? she asked me why i told her. because fighting, when cares about taiwan, then she said, you're a treasurer if you vote for sy in when roy and wing way are both convinced that taiwan should become independent on the woman. they feel while we may have the same culture and the same language. but our way of life is different. john thomas, we are a free and democratic country woman. when they're in r for a tarion country. ha, that's why we need to oppose china and gain independence. it will not waste long. so china is angry, even if nothing changes, china will still be angry. if we let them have their way,

will end up like hong kong. eventually we'd be under the control of the communist party of china, a thong, although also new. ah roy is even prepared to stand up to china himself if need be wrong. oh, who is it? puzzle, father, in an attack, most taiwanese would run away on the night. that would be easiest to visit boston in guys, but i believe we should take up weapons and defend our families, all melbourne, our homeland and our way of life. so the baton i, we need to stand up to china did not run away or puzzle. ah, what is roy underestimating the threat to taiwan? this is china's military propaganda images designed to impress and intimidate taiwan. china's army is much more powerful than ty, once every

day. chinese fighter planes like these nuclear capable, h 6 bombers are sent over the taiwanese air defense identification. so in 2021, there were more than 600 such incursions. but i once government refuses to be intimidated, the country's leaders say they are ready to go to war if need be. foreign minister joseph is standing for we have been preparing is that we have the ability to defend ourselves even is going to happen to morrow. so we are trying to make ourselves ready for a possible conflict with china. and i want to say again,

we have the determination to defend ourselves. this is our territory. this is our sovereignty, and this is our way of life, and we want to protect it. the minister seems confident, but others say that taiwan is not ready to defend itself. this retired military officer is carrying 41 different awards on his shoulder no received during his 38 years anti wants air force. today, the former deputy defense minister wants to draw attention to the mirage. 2000 fighter, which taiwan bought from france 30 years ago. the former officer is convinced the mirage fighter is no longer a match for china's fleet. but only a handful of broadcasters show any interest you find young's on jesus east that the mirage is a 4th generation fighter. jen is what i china is already working on the 5th generation. we have no choice but to up our game where you will be as,

as what he said. the reason i ha, i was talking to i once military knows that needs to be prepared for a chinese offensive particularly because the younger generation is increasingly against the status quo, which risk a backlash from aging. the sunflower movement began and march 18th, 2014. when a group of students and other activists storm to a national legislature, they wanted to prevent a sweeping trade agreement with china, which would have strengthened chinese influence. at the time, the ruling china friendly commented party planned to waive the agreement through what followed or 23 days of protest where the student vehemently showed their determination. ah, ah,

you have always the whole when we leave this parliament will me and we will have to live up to our responsibility so you won't be easy, but we have to preserve the spirit of the movement. all the way to the sunflower movement helped pave the way for the election of president saw him when the democratic progressive party in 2016. it was a bitter defeat for the old guard woman tongue, which had dominated tie when he's politics. since the beginning of 1949, we pay a visit to $1.00 of the sons. our movement activists in the parliament building. audrey tang has now twice been appointed, taiwanese digital minister, by the president sheath, the world's 1st openly transgender national minister. and as a former hacker,

she is also an advocate for radical transparency. in his interview, i need to make ah, everything the minister says to the press is made available to the people of taiwan . our entire interview will be posted to her, you to channel. all her government statements are posted there to ah, the basically i just speak my mind, so that's no extra training required. i guess of course a lot of the actual work is of course also a group effort. i think my main contribution is the individual is to insist that the materials are forming the message and also the medium is delivered as creative commas. oh, today, tang wants to encourage tie when he citizens to purchase government issued spending

vouchers. the goal is to stimulate the local economy in the wake of the pandemic. unlike the more formal chinese style of official communication, audrey tang isn't afraid to let her personality, shon, blue shield virtual vouchers come and get them all the humorous clips don't take much time to me. i didn't see them. wow, hurry follow kyle young time when he's love it. colorful, whimsical, a very effective public message minister audrey tag is very creative. she always has new ideas that are ahead of her time, especially when it comes to technology. blue, the digital minister has contributed to another unique instrument which emerged

from the gob, 0 community called v taiwan for virtual taiwan. it's an online platform that allows for civic debate on legislative topics with fostering this digital democracy is one side of audrey tanks work. but there's another more disquieting side in late 2021 time when he's officials set the government faced up to 5000000 cyber attacks for probes per day. in may 2020 hackers, targeted a state run energy company causing payment issues and chaos at gas stations across the country to help protect against such attacks. the minister employs whitehead hackers to test government projects and software programs. make sure that we

also understand so called the read him thinking how the penetration testers think about this as, as the we can defend ourselves better and also pro active leave hunt. and he threats the c e o of team t 5. but taiwan based cyber security company is familiar with many cyber espionage groups. they were even able to identify the one responsible for the energy company attack called a p t 41. they are a notorious group of china backed hackers. also wanted to buy the f b i and they have very, ah high skill. they are really good as several tech and according to our raker, our research, we know them, they've compromise lots of very large enterprises and very um, very important critical infrastructures. and are some like technology companies?

yeah. a p t 41. are hackers for hire? they work for organized crime as well as state entities such as china. that they all the tag is very close to on taiwan, our presidential, our integration ceremony. so many people guess it might be related, they want to cause some high impact because not only this company on it happened to a 2 major our oil on, on product providers in taiwan. taiwan fears that critical infrastructure, like the electricity and power supply could also be hacked, which would bring the entire country to a standstill. some of these hackers work out of bass, 311 in the chinese city official. base 311 was where the chinese military cyber warfare operations are headquartered just off the coast from

a time when he's archipelago. much like with the kenman islands to the south, which is only a half hour vote right from the mainland. in kenman county, people worry more about a chinese attack than anywhere else in taiwan. that fear is exemplified by these defensive stakes, which recall the battles between mouse communist and john chi checks nationalists. in 1949. robin is from taiwan at works as a tour guide on kenman. so when it got here about 3 days, doing nice attacking was just came and was called a r o c troops. so their standard file 900 boats as some tie the night time 2 o'clock. attacking to kim and for 3 days. mm hm.

in taipei, the time when his government faces another challenger, the corman talk, it's the main opposition party and the oldest in taiwan. the conservative one china party tries to force the new government at every turn. freddie live as a newer member, the legislature who won his district in january 2016 election. that's ox i in when, when the presidency a we are and some sizes are, which is a market that are built in japanese colonial hero hero. almost 100 years. the small market is located in a historic type, a district in the heart of freddie limbs, constituency. i go to long and this is one of the most famous dumpling shot in his area,

surrounded by voters for any lim looks in his element. perhaps because he is not only a politician. he also possesses a special talent, crazy, very farmer's high wipers. why? her? seeing single thought mercury mercer the c know all is depletion. oh yeah. oh oh, okay. oh, the front for taiwan is most famous. heavy metal band ah ah, to night is performing before an audience of 20000 he also takes the opportunity to send his message to his fans or pro independence message,

much to the displeasure of the conservative warm intact on the job. so i'm going to go to our country is valuable, even though it is more no dictatorship should be allowed to tell fingers writers and artists and what they can thing right or perform just to enforce their terrible policies code as it goes away. yeah. because it's pretty lim when his election, the common toe is doing everything in its power to retake his district in parliament. lynn has even been physically seized by political opponents to keep him from voting. the opposition all wearing blue grabbed him and held him in place. shocking images. what are the order of the day in taiwan? i think they can say all their, their idea about being closing with china. so. so how,

how they can position themselves and they found it so difficult. so they, they, it might be easier for them to go extreme and to get attention from the people. but that's as far as why i don't think it makes sense but, but they just do that. the form in tongue is not the only party that poses a threat to tie wants democracy. there's also the china unification, promotion party, or the c u. p. p. an extremist approach a party though it's just a french party. it knows how to capture public attention. the lettering on their best delivers a clear message. we support reunification with china. today mister chung and his comrades are demonstrating for the 122nd time in front of taiwan center for disease control. their demand is always the same. i want to purchase chinese made coby texting. being sure the china is prepared to make safe and effective vaccines

available to us quickly. well, you know, we have to protect people's irin high want come up with we can't allow the government to block chinese vaccines all called and i was done in those. somebody mentioned that in the job in our, into the protest. the police stepping with what are you in, i'm informing you that today, september 20th you must leave the premises. otherwise we will remove you by force the c u. p. p. activists comply and leave the area we take the opportunity to follow chung futon to his headquarters just a few kilometers outside typing. with. as we entered the premises, we were struck with the impression that these could possibly be mainland chinese military forces on taiwanese soil. which could be

a serious danger to democracy here. ah, we 1st encounter a statue of the chinese communist leader dang shall. pink. in the 1950s thing was a close comrade of miles of dawn. 40 years later, he was responsible for the tenement square massacre. i, in the next room, c, u p, p. propaganda, videos are being filled. the demonstration from earlier that day will also go online soon. a man in a blue track suit is keeping a careful eye on things. he has an air of authority that piques our curiosity, especially since he sticking close to the parties chairman for the so i'm not the, this is the office of the c u p. p president. by going to oh,

i'll introduce you to his son. suddenly when his father chung and lo, the president of the c u. p. p isn't here. his son chung way takes over the home. but the shadow of his father was in china right now is always present. this would sculpture was given to my father when he returned to taiwan. it's a souvenir, a wolf, because my father's nickname is white wolf wishing the full hole to joel, i don't. white wolf may have a romantic sound to it, but the name comes from the time when chung ways, father with a leader of the bamboo union, the largest of taiwan triads, chung and spent 10 years in a u. s. prison on drug charges. more recently though, he's been investigated for claims that the c u. p. p. has been accepting funding from china. chung way, it tries to convince us that he's different from his father. since he was raised in

argentina by his mother. he conduct the rest of the interview with us in spanish. this schedule and i was 21 when i met him the 1st time he'd spent 10 years in prison in the us on my own or media. i only knew my father from news reports. i knew he was my father, but i'd never met him. louis don't know, but i'm not in the gang of my father has forbidden. we meet another former member of the bamboo union. he succeeded in leaving the crime syndicate and has become a loyal supporter of independence. these days, he's glad for the freedom he enjoys. he runs 6 fitness centers. holligan chan may still look like a gangster, but his bamboo union days are overt. now he's an entrepreneur and an internet

celebrity with more than a 1000000 followers. waivery by shit and is, is it is, i work out 3 to 4 times a week was bench pressing. what are those sources? sundance is usually $160.00 or $170.00 kilos. sometimes even 180 it was it bud it balise although it bye bye. see bye bye soil. so as the sun does it, this is sun, the buddha was the good side. does it with a ball that this isn't or move it is the bad side i own? i mean, this signifies that our world doesn't just have one side, but to another. if you encounter a bad person, you have to use your bad side to beat him on colder those he in 2020 holger chin. pay dearly for his new found political support for an independent. i want the incident made headlines far and wide, dizzy. now for news of the day,

we internet's down held, our chin was shot in the arm and leg 3 times early this morning and paypal ego until i found town. as he left one of his fitness studios in the middle of the night, holger chen and 2 employees walked to his car. suddenly, a gunman appeared, shot him at close range and flat. ah bullet, y'all mail, bumble schedule. every day i still have pain in my legs. oh, i had a total of 7 entry and exit wound. i was in critical condition like very critical my results. i still have bullet fragments in my leg, and i worry that i'll have pain for the rest of my life to thoughts on. the reason for the attack was clear in 2019 holger chant helped organize mass demonstrations

against powerful pro china media outlets. he's been speaking out for taiwanese independence since leaving the bamboo union. i want it all taiwanese should rise up against the red media here and against the chinese communist party. i know the protests were mainly directed at one man sigh. aiming the billionaire owner, the china times media group, older chin had accused him of working for beijing and seeking to destabilize taiwan by spreading propaganda on his media outlets. including the cta, cable news station. these are the town of eden. he's an enemy of taiwan. we know that people like him are working for the enemy and getting money from the chinese school. i'm in the wake of the 2019 protests. the media magnate was asked to appear

before the taiwanese national communications commission, which decided not to renew c, t. r. 's license, city i news will start broadcasting after nearly 3 decades. authorities are the queues, the owner, tiger, and sy, in men, all the interfering with the broadcast as editorial independence. ah, older chin is not the only one to be threatened by pro china extremists. ah, taiwan was also home to political exiles who fled chinese controlled hong kong. one of them is lum winkie. oh, he's a bookseller who specializes in books that are critical of beijing. as a result, he spent 8 months in a chinese jail. the chinese police have their site set on him again because he refuses to divulge the names of his customers meeting, changing sonya and go,

i used to send 5 kilos of books per day to china. brookside zone are now in seattle or is it always home? oh i did that for almost 2 years. just dont you guys for 2 reasons. foyer, john, 1st to turn money agenda and 2nd young. don't want to influence people. oak i've been to g. g. i believed that china can only be transformed from with n y mandarin schumacher. people have the right to read books. so this is i'm opposed to any and all bands. you joe with owen taiwan does not have an extradition treaty with china. that's why lum winkie was able to open a new bookshop and 2020. with cy, england's blessing. the time when he's president even left behind, a simple handwritten note that said, a free taiwan supports the freedom of hong kong. the post it note is still there. oh, words like these are

a provocation for china, a country where the word freedom here framed on the wall has little place in a bookshop. a provocation that would soon be answered with red blotches on the walls. the floor and the table in on april 21st 2020 lamb when key was splashed with red paint while eating at a cafe. with his attacker who was captured on a security camera, was determined to intimidate the anti china activist into submission with non shoot. roger hi, home shaw, they arrested the people who threw paint on me or the on she gall and now they're in jail. you order the will really williams, i'm all. oh, how are you shipping ah, wife, louder than shanghai. i'm glad because taiwan is

a democratic country bobbing, plunging into a void, provoking china. taiwan was long, reluctant to take in any one playing hong kong. but in 2020 taiwan gave refuge 211000 hong kong. ers wanted to escape china's brutal suppression dissent. ah, it had become clear that for president she jane pink, the promise of one country to systems meant something very different than what hong kong had hoped. and many here fear that taiwan could suffer the same fate. do you believe in one country to systems and will taiwan be the next hong kong? ah, you along to dodge i lows are empty words. you do you understand what i mean by that from the ha. you mean by lodge hours on la jose? i'm from something that doesn't exist. yeah, yes, sham, meaningless saying china would like to re conquer taiwan territory that it

considers its own. today taiwan stands at a crossroads. will the de facto independence of their country become official or will be ging to everything in its power to assume control of taiwan? ah, to the point to the strong opinions, clear positions, international perspectives. it's nothing short of a route. ukraine's 2 across the counter offensive has expelled russian troops from a large suite of territory in the northeast of ukraine, at lightning speed,

ukraine's battlefield gates put in under pressure to the point in 30 minutes on d, w o t o a n t, a listening place of long mediterranean sea, a muster and to follow a dual career drift along with more modern lifestyles and mediterranean meeting. people are hearing their dreams ready to re journey this week. do you w ah

ah ah ah, this is dw news live in from berlin, russia and china vowing to deepen their partnerships. president is why do me a potent and she's been paying met today for the 1st time since the war in ukraine began? they talked about safeguarding their mutual security interest as well as deepen.