Taiwanese stoic about PLA blockade rehearsal

October 22, 2024 22:10

Hualien – Lin Ming pointed toward the Pacific Ocean outside the hotel where he works. “The day of the blockade rehearsal I did not see the PLA ships on the sea out there. I only learnt of it the next day on the news.

“We are used to this. My family did not talk much about it. With all its planes and missiles, China could destroy us quickly. But I do not think they will. It would be an economic disaster for the country, with all the sanctions that would follow.”

On October 14, the PLA launched “Joint Sword-2024B”, its biggest series of military exercises around Taiwan since 1949 It involved air, army, rocket and naval forces in the air and sea off the north, south, east and west of the island.

“The PLA is simulating how to cut off Taiwan’s air and sea traffic to the outside world and prevent its naval and air forces from being mobilised,” said Chieh Chung, a researcher at the Association of Strategic Foresight.

Navy Commander Admiral Tang Hua said that the exercises made it harder for Taiwan forces to detect when Beijing would switch from exercises to war.

“The Communists are threatening us 365 days a year,” said Liang Min-chiang, a taxi driver. “We do not pay much attention to these exercises. My family and friends did not discuss them. We have our armed forces. In the event of a war, our allies would defend us – the U.S., Japan and South Korea.

“If Xi Jinping wants to intimidate us, he has failed. Why does he spend so much money on the military when poor regions of China need the funds? His predecessors also wanted to take over Taiwan, but he is more ambitious and aggressive,” he said.

On the east coast, Hualien depends heavily on tourism and was very popular with mainland tourists. A total of 4.2 million visited Taiwan in 2015. But, since the DPP won the presidency in 2016, Beijing has severely restricted its citizens from visiting the island, banning group travel. Hualien has been badly affected and its hotels and restaurants have lost business.

The city hosts the base of the Taiwan Air Force Eastern Command and would be a prime target in an attack. The deafening sound of jet fighters on practice runs is commonplace. Hotels like the one where Lin works have air raid shelters in case of attack.

The exercises provoke anger and resignation among the public. Huang Lin, a teacher, said that, like others, he had become numb to the many PLA military exercises. “I do not think that they will dare to attack. The economic cost would be too high, and it has many economic problems at home. It could lead to a split in the government in Beijing.

“In any event, no-one here would accept a Communist government. It would be like Hong Kong. They would arrest the leaders of the DPP and threw them in prison. We would lose our freedom of expression and the media and news would be censored.

“They would abolish our Legislative Yuan and impose their own rulers. They would end the democracy and freedoms we have fought so hard to achieve. Look what they did to Ma Yun. Would our entrepreneurs be safe?” he said.

Wang Min-li, a security guard, said that the exercises did not frighten him. “I am not afraid. I am a former soldier. The exercises make me angry and more determined to resist. That is how most Taiwan people feel.”

“But I think that Beijing would not attack us since we are both Chinese. The exercises are an enormous waste of money. I think our President, Lai Ching-teh, should be more discreet and less arrogant. That would help to reduce the tension,” he said.

Lin said that, while the city had lost a lot of business from the absence of mainland tourists, he was not sad to see the back of them. “They did just what we wanted to do. They did not follow the rules of the hotel we explained to them. They jumped nude into the swimming pool. I suppose that they behaved as they did at home.”

A Hong Kong-based writer, teacher and speaker.

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