In Taiwanese daily life, you almost never hear about what is happening across the strait unless you actively seek out news about it. Last week, China conducted naval and air exercises around Taiwan, even performing live-fire drills near its outlying islands. Most notably, these drills simulated how China would achieve air dominance over Taiwan and strike key targets in the event of a conflict. These drills were executed in response to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen's choice to visit the United States during her tour of the Americas. You may have read the story across many different Western news outlets, but here in Taiwan, life was going on normally as if the drills weren't happening.
This is because Taiwan has been used to this type of tense political relationship since the mid-20th century. In China, Taiwan is viewed as a breakaway province, so acts by the Taiwanese government to demonstrate its independence (such as a diplomatic visit to the U.S.) are viewed negatively. With this history, many Taiwanese have different views about what Taiwan's relationship with China should be. Taiwanese politics is dominated by two political parties: the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
