On the plaza of Yuanshan Park, to the north of Taipei, Taiwan's capital, strollers crowded the aisles of an organic farmers' market. On that November weekend, families of three or even four generations pushed around their precious only child, whose stroller crossed paths with those of small dogs in their Sunday best, brought out for some fresh air under the cool winter sun. Elderly people sitting on low walls observed this peaceful spectacle, dipping their chopsticks into their bento boxes, which they held close to their chins.

At the entrance to Zhongshan Avenue, a graceful young singer, dressed in a pleated miniskirt, swayed discreetly on the platform of a truck set up as a stage. About 30 onlookers listened on, smiling. The young woman singing was Ring, who had just formed a new all-female pop group, BOOM! whose video "Still Love You" has become a hit on YouTube. She opened for Mayday, dubbed the "Chinese Beatles," in Hong Kong in April. After mingling with the crowd, Ring slipped away to the airport. She was due to fly to China, where she had already performed solo in a dozen major cities.

The mainland remains the Eldorado for some of Taiwan's youth. It is in this country, or thanks to it, that the island's biggest fortunes have been made since the 1990s. China also opens up career opportunities that Taiwan, with its market of 23 million inhabitants, could never offer. For the younger generations, their large neighbor is both fascinating and increasingly intimidating. Its intentions are clear − everyone has heard the Chinese Communist Party declare that sooner or later "Taiwan, a rebellious separatist province, must be reunited with mainland China, by force if necessary."

On December 31, 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed that China would "surely be reunified" with Taiwan during his televised New Year's address. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen responded on January 1, 2024, speaking of "peaceful coexistence" while reminding those listening that the island's destiny should be decided by "democratic procedures."

A democracy proud of its societal advances

Since 1949 and the victory of the Communist Revolution, the former ruler of post-imperial China, the Kuomintang (KMT, literally "Chinese Nationalist Party"), led by Chiang Kai-shek, has taken refuge in Taiwan. Its initial ambition was to reconquer the motherland. But after almost 40 years of martial law, Taiwan took the road to democracy in the 1980s. The emergence of an increasingly distinct national identity has further strained relations between the two shores.

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