TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) 鈥 China has released a new documentary about the army鈥檚 preparation to attack Taiwan and showcasing soldiers pledging to give up their lives if needed as Beijing continues to ramp up its rhetoric against the self-ruled island.
鈥淐hasing Dreams,鈥 an eight-part docuseries aired by state broadcaster CCTV earlier this week to mark the People Liberation Army鈥檚 96th anniversary, features military drills and testimonials by dozens of soldiers, of which several express their willingness to die in a potential attack against Taiwan.
China claims Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy, as its own territory, to be conquered by force if necessary.
State media and the PLA frequently release propaganda materials promoting the army鈥檚 modernization as well as sleek videos of military drills.
The materials serve to fan rising Chinese nationalism and display military confidence against Taiwan and, implicitly, its ties with the United States. While the U.S. doesn鈥檛 recognize Taiwan as a sovereign country, it has in case of an invasion.
Last month, the White House announced a for Taiwan. The move, which experts said drew on lessons from the U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, was criticized by Beijing.
The 鈥淐hasing Dreams鈥 documentary showcased, among other things, the PLA鈥檚 鈥淛oint Sword鈥 drills, which simulated precision strikes against Taiwan. The exercises were undertaken around the self-governed island in April after .
Among the more dramatic parts of the program are pledges by PLA soldiers from various divisions to relinquish life in a potential attack on Taiwan.
鈥淚f war broke out and the conditions were too difficult to safely remove the naval mines in actual combat, we would use our own bodies to clear a safe pathway for our (landing) forces,鈥 Zuo Feng, a frogman with the PLA Navy鈥檚 minesweeper unit, said in a testimonial.
Li Peng, a pilot from Wang Hai Squadron under the PLA Air Force, echoed his statement, saying his 鈥渇ighter jet would be the last missile rushing towards the enemy if in a real battle, I had used up all my ammunition.鈥
Fan Lizhong, a special tactics unit commander, said in the docuseries that while losing comrades is painful, he has to remain calm to respond to emergencies and always be ready to fight.
The documentary also features Shandong, one of China鈥檚 three aircraft carriers, sailing in formation with several other warships.
The PLA has repeatedly dispatched Shandong to the Taiwan Strait over the past few months as a threat to Taiwan. PLA jets have also , an informal demarcation zone between China and Taiwan, relatively often over the past couple of years, especially in reaction to exchanges between Taiwan and the U.S. that have angered Beijing.
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AP researcher Henry Hou in Beijing contributed to this report.
