Days ago, foreign media reported that Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command Director Lin Xiangyang (林向陽) is suspected to have disappeared under suspicious circumstances. The Eastern Theater Command is the core military department responsible for operations against Taiwan — the purging of its director, if true, would be a major blow to the morale of the Chinese military and the success of its training.
On Tuesday morning — April Fool’s Day — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Eastern Theater Command suddenly announced the launch of joint military exercises in the air and maritime spaces surrounding Taiwan. The exercises involved army, navy, air and rocket forces, and aimed to create a stress test on Taiwan in the form of sudden military drills. Beijing’s goal was to use surprise attacks to intimidate Taiwan and create strategic panic, thereby weakening the reaction time and rhythm of preparation of our military.
The CCP evidently underestimated our military’s alertness and combat readiness mechanisms. In response to the CCP’s military exercise tactics, Taiwan has already established a “rapid response exercise” system, where emergency responses are simulated across potential combat zones to effectively guard against the CCP’s sudden military drills. As a result, this round of CCP military exercises failed at its goal of disrupting Taiwan’s defense rhythm, once again confirming the comprehensiveness of our military’s combat preparedness, as well as its command and communications systems.
The shadow of Lin’s disappearance turned these seemingly significant, high-profile military exercises into nothing but mindless drills launched in what appears to be an attempt to cover up internal strife. Not only did the PLA fail to display its strength, but it also exposed internal chaos and attracted international ridicule.
The CCP’s tired strategy of using military exercises to intimidate Taiwan is no longer effective. The more pressure it applies, the more it alerts Taiwanese society and worsens resentment against the CCP. These military threats only serve to galvanize Taiwan’s determination to defend itself and strengthen the push for international democratic cooperation. On April Fool’s Day, what the CCP gave to Taiwan was not deterrent military force, but a foolish act that led to diplomatic losses and the worsening of public opinion.
Elliot Yao is a reviewer.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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