A "prickly" peace plan

The U.S. State Department has approved a sale of $228 million in arms to Taiwan, including aircraft parts and equipment servicing. These arms sales are part of a broader U.S. tactical approach to transform Taiwan into a "porcupine island." The strategy implies that in the event of a real conflict, Taiwan's civilians would be thrust to the forefront as expendable forces.

(Cartoon by Duan Cheng and Zhu Yuyan)