China has showcased its ability and preparedness to launch a full-scale invasion of Taiwan in a new television documentary.
The film, released to commemorate the 96th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), featured testimonies from Chinese soldiers about their “willingness” to die to take over the self-ruled island.
“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,” a PLA Navy minesweeper said.
The documentary showed footage from Beijing’s Joint Sword drills in April, which simulated precision strikes against Taipei.
It also featured one of China’s most advanced aircraft carriers, the Shandong, sailing in formation with several other warships.
The Asian military superpower views Taiwan as part of its territory and vowed to reunite it with the mainland — by force if necessary.
Fueling Invasion Speculations
Earlier this year, Taiwanese foreign minister Joseph Wu revealed that Beijing would be more likely to invade the island nation in 2027.
“The situation in the last year compared to the two previous years is much worse… To me, 2027 is the year that we need to watch out for,” he told Sky News.
One of the messages reiterated in the newly-released documentary is the realization of the PLA’s centennial goal of becoming a world-class military.
China set 2027 as the deadline for such an objective.
