Chinese Army releases propaganda showing soldiers preparing for a conflict in what appears to be the Taiwan Strait

The Chinese military has released propaganda footage depicting soldiers making preparations for a potential conflict in what seems to be the Taiwan Strait. According to a report by The Guardian on Thursday (August 17), the video titled “Reading the Strait” was shared on the official WeChat account of the Eastern Theatre Command. The video showcased soldiers in combat attire engaging in push-ups under crashing waves, a battalion of tanks moving into the sunset, and troops running along sandy shores past anti-landing barricades.

Accompanying the video was a catchy ballad featuring lyrics like “Go over the city gate and the high wall and take the freest way.”

The post also included a poem with similar sentiments: “You, no matter how dark it is, don’t be afraid. Fireflies and moonlight as the guiding light, we ride the wind with our dreams, chase and win the warmest years,” the poem expressed.

The Eastern Theatre Command is stationed along China’s eastern coast and holds responsibilities concerning the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan, which China asserts as part of its territory, has repeatedly voiced concerns about Chinese military activities in its vicinity over the past three years. Beijing has been intensifying pressure to compel the island to recognize its sovereignty.

In a separate development, China expressed its opposition on Friday to the United States allowing Taiwan’s Vice President William Lai to have layovers in the country while en route to Paraguay for the inauguration of its new president.

Lai recently returned from a significant visit to the US, a trip that China has criticized and that has led to warnings from Taiwanese officials that it could lead to more Chinese military exercises near the island.

“The United States insisted on arranging for (Taiwan Vice President) William Lai to stop over twice in the country, which seriously violated the one-China principle and undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and sent out a seriously wrong signal to the Taiwan independence separatist forces. China firmly opposes it and strongly condemns this,” remarked Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin.

“Wiliam Lai, as deputy leader of the Taiwan region, described himself as a pragmatic Taiwan independence worker. What he said and did during the stop-over in the United States proved once again that he is an outright Taiwan independence separatist,” Wenbin added.