Amid growing concerns about China staging an amphibious invasion of Taiwan, the Taiwanese military has decided to simulate an enemy marine assault to assess how it could be thwarted.
Next week, the military will begin simulating enemy amphibious landings and beach counterattacks, Taiwan News reported.
According to the report, all of the places shortlisted for the upcoming drills have been given the moniker “red beaches,” inspired by the 2017 Ian Easton book “The Chinese Invasion Threat: Taiwan's Defense and American Strategy in Asia,” which explores in-depth how the Chinese People's Liberation Army would launch an invasion of Taiwan.
While emphasizing that most of the nation's coastline would provide serious challenges, Easton listed 14 beaches and coastal regions in Taiwan that will likely allow potential invaders to establish a beachhead.
The book begins with Easton painting a grim picture of China's goals concerning Taiwan. The PLA's approach to preparing and carrying out an invasion under ideal conditions is then thoroughly described to the level of specific army divisions, brigades, regiments, navy, and air force squadrons.
According to Easton, Taiwan's rugged coastline would be very hostile to an occupying force, and the few beaches suitable for widespread landings are closely guarded. He finally highlights areas where an invasion would likely go wrong regarding intelligence, troops, and equipment.
As for the schedule of Taiwan's upcoming drills, beginning its maneuvers at Zhuwei on March 8 and 9, the Amphibious 151st Fleet will move to Zhiben for a second round on April 12 and 13.
Separately, the 192nd Fleet – a minesweeping unit – is scheduled to conduct operations from March 27 to 31 off the southwest coast of Taiwan, according to the Ministry of National Defense. The report suggested that the exercise might be intended to simulate the creation of a secure corridor for shipping during a conflict.
These drills will be held days after a Japanese think tank Sasakawa Peace Foundation simulated a cross-strait conflict in which China tried to invade Taiwan via an amphibious assault in 2026, as previously reported by EurAsian Times. It concluded that if the US and Japan intervened, they could thwart an invasion but with massive losses.
However, as the threat of a Chinese invasion becomes more pronounced, Taiwan has taken it upon itself to prepare for all eventualities. Earlier, as part of designing a robust response to a potential invasion, the Republic of China (ROC) Navy inducted an amphibious combat ship named ‘Yu Shan' on September 30 that could be used to deploy troops and strengthen supply lines to critical islands.
Further, the Taiwanese Defense minister recently said that if the island's military is well-prepared, they might be able to defeat the first Chinese onslaught. The drills planned for next week is likely a step in that direction, besides the military modernization and purchases undertaken by the government.