As news unfolded of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, people thousands of miles away on Taiwan followed the developments with growing unease – some describing it as the “worst case scenario” for the self-governing island that China considers part of its territory.

As a small democracy that sits next to an imposing, autocratic neighbour, parallels have been drawn between Taiwan and Ukraine – with Taiwanese citizens, officials, and world leaders alike concerned Beijing could seize upon the crisis to ramp up pressure on or even attack the island.

“How the world is reacting to Ukraine could be exactly how the world reacts to Taiwan [in the case of a Chinese invasion],” said Kathy Cheng, an entrepreneur who runs a gift registry website. “Would the world care?”