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During the "August 1" Army Day, in order to pay tribute to the 97th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army,The Eastern Theater Command released the combat training MV "Battle on the Sea", which attracted a large number of netizens to like it.As an "extraordinary fan" of the Eastern Theater Command, the Taiwan military across the strait obviously watched the video carefully and responded without considering its own capabilities. On August 3, the Taiwan military released a propaganda film with the theme of "Never Back Down", showing a posture of confronting the PLA.

The video is 1 minute and 8 seconds long. According to the Taiwan Defense Department, the video is based on the "Han Kuang Exercise" and live-fire shooting missions. With the deep background music and the sound of artillery fire, it has a sense of déjà vu from a game CG. The Taiwan military hopes to emphasize its so-called "determination to defend the country" by relying on the bluffing effect brought by the audio-visual impact.This "ideal" is very hopeful, but the reality is very cruel.

What is reality?The reality is that the first "Han Kuang Exercise" after Lai Qingde took office was hyped up by the media, celebrities, and cyber troops before it started, and the banner of "the closest to actual combat in history" was raised. As a result, due to the landing of Typhoon "Gemi", the so-called "unscripted military exercise" that had just been performed for two days was directly cancelled and ended hastily.

However, looking at it from another angle, the Taiwan military stopped its operations when the typhoon came. Perhaps this is the true reaction of the Taiwan military in actual combat. Canceling operations, giving up resistance, or even directly surrendering is not inconsistent with "closest to actual combat". On the contrary, it may have revealed the Taiwan military's "trump card" in advance.

What is reality?The reality is that the "Taiwan defense weapons" that the Taiwan military fiddles with in propaganda videos may be filled with smoke or flames, but the models are already old and outdated. For example, the M1 240mm howitzer was designed in the early 20th century and can only be used on a fixed track. It cannot meet the mobility and flexibility requirements of the modern battlefield and is called an "antique" by military fans.

Figure: M1 240mm howitzer

The PLA equipment that appears in the video of "Battle of the Sea" includes the fifth-generation stealth fighter J-20, the "bomb truck" J-16, the "large quantity and sufficient supply" long-range rocket launcher, the "mission-accomplished" Dongfeng missile and other high-tech equipment. Compared with the Taiwan military, which remains in the "museum stage", the PLA's naval, land and air equipment can achieve a cross-generational advantage of destroying it before the Taiwan military discovers it.

What is reality?The reality is that the "never-ending pace of building a lean army and preparing for war" boasted by Taiwan's defense department only happens to the People's Liberation Army, while the Taiwan military is facing "a thousand holes" from personnel to equipment. Just one day before the release of the propaganda film, Taiwanese media broke the news that the bullet-resistant steel plates of the "Clouded Leopard" eight-wheeled armored vehicles independently manufactured by the Taiwan military had cracks, of which 27 were new vehicles manufactured within two years and 23 were old vehicles that had been in disrepair for a long time.

Figure: "Clouded Leopard" eight-wheeled armored vehicle

In addition, according to a report from Taiwan’s audit department, the situation of Taiwan’s naval vessels “not performing repairs according to the maintenance cycle” is also quite serious.A former captain of the Taiwan military pointed out that if the past allocation of "one-third combat readiness, one-third training, and one-third maintenance" is followed, the Taiwan military will actually have few ships available.

What is reality?The reality is that on the day the propaganda film was released, the Washington Post published an article criticizing the Taiwan military for "lack of training" and "shortage of troops". The article quoted the Taiwan Defense Department as saying that the Taiwan authorities originally planned to have all Taiwanese men born in 2005 or later serve in the military for one year, but this year only 6% of them, or 6,936 people, served. The US media claimed that the Taiwan military's slow progress in strengthening personnel training has made military experts in the United States and the Taiwan authorities "worried".

Former Taiwan Navy Captain Lu Lishi questioned this, saying that this report has a hidden meaning, that is, the United States has an opinion, should Taiwan's compulsory service period be extended to 2 years? Taiwan's United Daily News commented and criticized that the Taiwan authorities only want to confront head-on, how can the Taiwan military withstand long-term repeated wear and tear?A Taiwanese netizen left an angry message, "Only fools would fight for 'Taiwan independence'."

When the DPP authorities and Taiwan’s defense department try to embolden themselves with the filter of propaganda films, the question that the vast majority of Taiwanese people, including Taiwan’s military officers and soldiers, want to ask is why cross-strait relations have come to this point?Who has made the situation in the Taiwan Strait so tense that it is ready for war?

Ma Ying-jeou, former leader of Taiwan, answered this question when he attended an event in Thailand on the 4th. He pointed out thatCross-strait relations have begun to deteriorate. The key is that the DPP authorities have rejected the "1992 Consensus," the common political foundation of both sides of the strait.The failure to find a new foundation acceptable to the mainland has led to a dangerous situation where the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are in a state of lack of mutual trust and formal communication channels.

The Lai administration has no bottom line in cooperating with external forces in their pursuit of "independence" provocations, becoming the main culprit for the instability in the Taiwan Strait. Ma Ying-jeou pointed out the so-called "US support" exaggerated by the Lai administration in one sentence:It is impossible for the United States to sacrifice its own children for Taiwan.

Ma Ying-jeou's judgment is also the conclusion of most Taiwanese people, because the same plot has already been played out in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. Once Taiwan is hijacked by "Taiwan independence" and falls into the quagmire of "proxy war", it will only lead to the destruction of all lives and industries. This is a fact and truth that cannot be covered up by any number of "passionate propaganda films".

If one truly cares about the situation in the Taiwan Strait, one should, as Ma Ying-jeou said, encourage dialogue between Taiwan and the mainland. This is the most beneficial approach for all parties and for regional security.Ma Ying-jeou called for cross-strait issues to be discussed by the two sides themselves, and that it is impossible and should not be handed over to others, and foreign countries should not be allowed to interfere.It’s a pity that the Lai administration, which has completely leaned towards the United States, has neither the will nor the ability to do so.

"With iron will, we ride the waves and the wind to defend our homeland; we fight for every inch of land, with determination higher than the sky; we can defend thousands of borders, and those who are loyal and devoted are all heroes; prosperity, strength and unity, our compatriots are connected by blood." We advise the Taiwanese military officers and soldiers who have been pushed to the front line by the DPP authorities not to indulge in the self-congratulatory propaganda film, and the right thing to do is to watch "Battle of the Sea" several times.

Source: Voice of the Strait