China has released a new documentary about its army’s preparations to attack Taiwan that showcases soldiers pledging to give up their lives if needed as Beijing continues to ramp up its rhetoric against the nation.
Chasing Dreams (逐夢), an eight-part docuseries aired by state broadcaster China Central Television earlier this week to mark the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) 96th anniversary, features military drills and testimonials by dozens of soldiers, of which several express their willingness to die in a potential attack against Taiwan.
China’s state media and the PLA frequently release propaganda material promoting the army’s modernization, as well as sleek videos of military drills.
Photo: Screen grab from China Central Television’s YouTube channel
The material serves to fan rising Chinese nationalism and display military confidence against Taiwan and, implicitly, its ties with the US.
Washington has pledged to help Taiwan defend itself in case of an invasion, and the White House last month announced a US$345 million military aid package for the nation.
The documentary showcases, among other things, the PLA’s Joint Sword drills, which simulated precision strikes against Taiwan. The exercises were undertaken around Taiwan in April after President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) visited the US.
Among the more dramatic parts of the program are pledges by PLA soldiers from different divisions to relinquish life in a potential attack on Taiwan.
“If war broke out and the conditions were too difficult to safely remove the naval mines in actual combat, we would use our own bodies to clear a safe pathway for our [landing] forces,” Zuo Feng, a frogman with the PLA Navy’s minesweeper unit, said in a testimonial.
Li Peng, a pilot from the PLA Air Force’s Wang Hai Squadron, echoed his statement, saying that his “fighter jet would be the last missile rushing toward the enemy if in a real battle, I had used up all my ammunition.”
The documentary also features the Shandong, one of China’s two active aircraft carriers, sailing in formation with several other warships.
The PLA has over the past few months repeatedly dispatched the Shandong to the Taiwan Strait. PLA jets have also crossed the Strait’s median line relatively often over the past couple of years.
No comments were available from Taiwanese officials as of press time.
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