Beijing’s financial district was the site of a massive propaganda campaign on Thursday, as a giant screen broadcasted videos of Chinese military exercises surrounding Taiwan all day. The screen also displayed a map showing five key locations around the island where the Chinese army was carrying out a siege. In Shanghai, luxury brand advertisements were shown on screens in commercial buildings, but on Friday morning, artificial intelligence simulations of a missile attack on Taiwan were displayed.
On Thursday and Friday, Beijing deployed planes carrying real missiles around Taiwan and simulated attacks on military targets while ships rehearsed a naval blockade. The PLA’s Eastern Theater Command oversaw these maneuvers, which involved the navy, air force, and rocket force. Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense reported the presence of Chinese navy ships and combat aircraft near its coast. In response, China’s Defense Ministry stated that the exercises aimed to test the military’s ability to seize power and occupy key areas with simulated attacks on foreign ships.
These war games were the third-largest around Taiwan since August 2022 and targeted “Taiwan independence supporters.” Among the weapons used in these exercises were the J-20 stealth fighter, J-16 dropping munitions on ground targets, guided missile destroyer Type 052D, DF-16A short-range ballistic missile, and modular long-range multiple launch rocket system. The focus was on isolating Taiwan from rapid assistance from the United States through a total blockade of its east coast.
