It is one of the most advanced democracies on the planet, but also one of the most threatened.

With its 23 million inhabitants, Taiwan is an island where life is good. However, war has never been so close. At issue: China located just opposite, a few kilometers from the coast. Beijing has never recognized Taiwan and has considered it, since 1949, to be a Chinese province.

Determined not to let itself be absorbed by its lifelong brotherenemy, Taiwan resists as best it can. Increase in the military budget, major maneuvers, demonstration of force by elite units, the small island deploys all means to dissuade the Middle Kingdom from any attack. But, in contrast to this belligerent attitude, above all it has a secret weapon to keep China at bay: keeping its back. Thus Taiwan agrees not to pronounce the fateful word that would ignite the powder: independence. Today, no major world power recognizes this “country” and Taiwan may be one of the most flourishing economies on the planet, it is as if it did not exist.

Part of the Taiwanese population can no longer tolerate this paradoxical situation. So, despite a disproportionate balance of power between China and Taiwan, young people in particular say they are ready to go to war against their powerful neighbor.

Even if today, the majority of Taiwanese do not want independence and prefer not to offend China, the gap is nevertheless widening between Taipei and Beijing. In the Taiwanese capital, an ultratransparent democracy is being established thanks to revolutionary participatory tools and especially thanks to the Minister of Digital, the only transgender minister in the world. Enough to annoy Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has just brought Hong Kong into line and would like to do the same with Taiwan.

Between a businessman who advocates courteous allegiance to Beijing and a former member of a Gang who has become proindependence, between a transgender minister and a rocker MP: investigation into Taiwan, the only place in the world that still resists China.

Director: Bruno Gex and Nicolas U