The Chinese military has published a new propaganda video showing an amphibious assault on Taiwan.
The People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command has intensified its psychological warfare against Taiwan by releasing a new propaganda video, published on X-like Chinese platform Weibo Wednesday, that simulates an attack on the island—including an amphibious assault.
Titled "You Will Win if You Go Home," the video employs the theme of Lunar New Year celebrations to make a poignant—albeit threatening—statement about reunification with Taiwan, likening it to the reunion of families during the festive period.
The election of William Lai Ching-te of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party as president of Taiwan last month has added to the tensions.
The recent increase in military posturing began in earnest in August 2022, following a visit to Taiwan by the then U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which triggered unprecedented PLA military exercises around the island.
In response, Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office stated that the election results "would not impede the inevitable trend of China's reunification," highlighting the ongoing geopolitical struggle and the PLA's continued efforts to assert its dominance and deterrence in the Taiwan Strait.
The video seeks to emotionally engage viewers by drawing parallels between the reunification of Taiwan with the mainland and the heartwarming reunions of families during the Lunar New Year, effectively using cultural sentiments to justify its aggressive stance towards Taiwan.
This hyperbolic message is underscored by a narrative that frames military action as an act of familial love and unity.
In a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on February 2, it was revealed that there has been a noticeable increase in visits by Chinese provincial chiefs to the PLA command responsible for overseeing Taiwan. These officials have pledged their full support for the military's war readiness.
Particularly noteworthy is that within the past month, three provincial-level Communist Party secretaries have visited the Eastern Theatre Command, engaging with its chief, General Lin Xiangyang, according to SCMP.
Such visits, while not unprecedented, are unusual in their frequency and timing, especially considering they occurred close to Taiwan's presidential and legislative elections on January 13.
The Eastern Theatre Command accompanied the release of the video with a message on Weibo, stating: "A family is the smallest country, and a country is composed of tens of millions of families.
"If you love to fight, your family will win; if you love to fight, your country will win. If a family is harmonious, one person does not want to be missing; if a country is harmonious, there cannot be one less person." This message resonated on social media, with the related hashtag viewing over 1.2 million times on Weibo, and the video itself garnering over 234,000 views.
The propaganda effort by China's Eastern Theatre Command, which oversees provinces including Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and the municipality of Shanghai, follows a period of heightened military activity around Taiwan.
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About the writer
Aadil Brar is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers international security, U.S.-China relations, and East Asian ... Read more
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