A new Taiwanese TV series that imagines the run-up to a Chinese invasion is getting rave reviews from viewers, who said that the program featuring the sensitive topic is a wake-up call for the public facing heightened Chinese military threat.
In the show Zero Day Attack (零日攻擊), a Chinese war plane goes missing near Taiwan. China then sends swarms of military boats and planes for a blockade, as Taiwan goes on a war footing. Panic ensues on the streets of Taipei.
At viewings in Taipei last week, attendees included American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene and United Micro Electronics Corp founder Robert Tsao (曹興誠), a strident critic of Beijing.
Photo: CNA
The series is set to premiere on Saturday in Taiwan, followed by its Japanese release on Amazon Prime Video.
“Presenting such a situation [of conflict] can lead to more discussion about what we should do if it really turns into reality one day,” said Blair Yeh, a 35-year-old engineer, after watching the first episode in the Taipei premier last week.
The premise of Zero Day Attack is a topic that has for years been considered too sensitive for many Taiwanese filmmakers and TV show creators, who fear losing access to the lucrative Chinese entertainment market.
More than half of the show’s crew asked to remain anonymous, and some people, including a director, pulled out of the production at the last minute, showrunner Cheng Hsin-mei (鄭心媚) said.
However, as China steps up military threats, including at least six rounds of major war games over the past five years and daily military activities close to Taiwan, the upcoming drama confronts the fear by setting the 10-episode series around a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
The drama focuses on several scenarios Taiwan might face in the days leading up to a Chinese attack, including a global financial collapse, the activation of Chinese sleeper agents and panicked residents trying to flee the nation.
In the show’s trailer, the fictional Taiwanese president says in a televised speech that “without freedom, Taiwan is not Taiwan,” urging unity after declaring war on China. The live broadcast then gets abruptly cut off, replaced by a feed of a Chinese state television anchor calling for Taiwanese to surrender and to report “hidden pro-independence activists” to Chinese soldiers after they land on Taiwan.
“We have been comfortable for a long time now,” said Leon Yu, a 43-year-old semiconductor industry professional, adding that Taiwan’s freedom and democracy must be kept. “There is still a lot of people out there burying their head in the sand who do not want to face the dangers of the present.”
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