American War Photographer: What is the Most Terrifying Thing in Taiwan

Taiwan is often referred to as a blessed land. (Video screenshot)

[People News] Imagine a day when the deadliest threat does not come from missiles raining down from the sky, but from a silent infiltration that leaves you uncertain about whether you should even react. What would you do?

In January 2026, the renowned American photojournalist Shulman, who has covered war zones worldwide and produced images for the Financial Times and the United Nations, made her first visit to Taiwan.

According to reports from the Central News Agency, Shulman, originally from New York, has been based in London for over 30 years. Her work spans multiple continents, with her photographs featured in prestigious international media such as the Financial Times. She has been commissioned numerous times by the United Nations and other international organizations to document events globally. Her visit to Taiwan this January was commissioned by the British think tank Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) to create a feature story for their publication.

During her ten-day stay in Taiwan, Shulman visited Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung, aiming to document how the Taiwanese people coexist with the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party.

Shulman expressed her amazement at Taiwan's natural beauty, the graceful balance between 'tradition' and 'modernity,' and the warm friendliness of the Taiwanese people during her first visit.

However, upon returning to London after her trip, she arrived at a startling conclusion: 'In Taiwan, the most terrifying aspect is not the visible threats, but the invisible dangers.'

During her ten-day visit, what was the most significant insight Taiwan offered her? What message does she wish to communicate through her work? Shulman emphasized that in Taiwan, people should not only focus on the 'visible' threats but also remain alert to the overall environment, the prevailing situation, and the developments of various events, paying close attention to subtle potential threats that may not be easily noticed.

Instead of focusing on advanced conventional military forces, Shulman directed her lens towards Taiwan's civil society. Her work highlighted ordinary citizens who spontaneously engaged in airsoft survival games, attended civil defense classes, and formed drone clubs.

Beneath this facade of peace and daily life, Shulman sensed a hidden crisis.

She likened this threat to 'boiling a frog in warm water.' It quietly develops, gradually infiltrates, and spreads silently. The most perilous aspect is that when danger becomes so concealed that it is unrecognizable, individuals may not even realize they are on the verge of being 'cooked.' Then, one day, 'things inevitably happen.'

Throughout her in-depth exploration over ten days, Shulman identified two highly contradictory phenomena: while most Taiwanese can articulate the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and understand that being taken over would result in disastrous consequences, the number of those who actively 'get up and take action' to prepare remains limited, despite many 'sitting and talking.'

The overwhelming majority of interviewees were reluctant to reveal their real names on camera. Even fishermen along the coasts of Hualien and Taitung opted to 'steer clear of the topic' when approached by foreign media regarding the CCP's maritime activities.

Shu'erman believes that the current situation reflects a dual fear of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) influence and highlights the differing opinions within Taiwanese society regarding the assessment and response to the CCP threat.

On July 27, 2026, RUSI hosted a session at its London headquarters to share Shu'erman's work.

During the meeting, Yao Jinxiang, the representative of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the UK, remarked that the war that erupted in Ukraine in February 2022 has significantly altered Taiwanese society's perception of security threats and modern warfare. In Taiwan, the responsibility for security defense has expanded beyond professional soldiers to include the entire society, covering areas such as infrastructure defense and enhancing supply chain resilience.

Taiwan's experience in crisis response has even drawn interest from cross-party members of the UK Parliament, who are eager to learn from it.

Shu'erman expressed her desire to return to Taiwan, particularly to explore the outlying islands of Kinmen and Matsu, and to engage with Taiwan's regular education system to observe how the island educates the next generation about understanding and practicing crisis response from a young age.

In light of the potential storms that could strike at any moment, Shu'erman offered a sobering reminder to Taiwan and all who care about it: 'The key is to confront reality and be prepared, rather than to mask problems and pretend that dangers do not exist.'

When danger approaches in the most subtle ways, staying vigilant and alert may serve as the first line of defense in safeguarding this island of freedom.
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