Several miles from 92-year-old veteran Yang Yin-shih's home on the tiny Kinmen Islands of Taiwan is the Chinese mainland, where he can see for himself the military might that threatens his homeland. Beijing last week staged unprecedented war games around the self-ruled democracy it claims as its own in a hailstorm of rage after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan's capital. As Chinese vessels dotted the Taiwan Strait and missiles plunged into the waters surrounding the island, a real risk of conflict reared its head. But life is very much carrying on as normal in Kinmen. Like many other residents, Yang was unfazed by the latest beating of Beijing's war drum despite the islets of 140,000 people sitting just 3.2 kilometres (two miles) across from the Chinese city of Xiamen. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES