PLA’s Tactics Of Propaganda And Psychological Warfare Against Democratic Republic Of Taiwan
By
Colonel Awadhesh Kumar, Veteran Special Forces
Chinese Communist Party and its fighting Arm the PLA both have started day dreaming in a grand manner. The Communists have started dreaming that once China attacks the Republic of Taiwan with its People’s Liberation Army (PLA ) for capturing the Country forcibly, it will be just a Walk Over.
They have started believing that once the PLA launches with full force, then the War will be Concluded in a matter of hours. There will never be an effective resistance from the Taiwan military, nor will there be real intervention from the US and its allies.
The above day dreaming has been badly shattered by a report recently released by the Republic of Taiwan military. The report gives out the three phases in which the PLA will launch its operations to forcibly capture and subjugate Taiwan, an independent Democratic country since more than 70 years.
The three phases of PLA Operational Plans will be : Complete blockade of Taiwan Sea territory and air space from all sides in phase1, Engage in massive propaganda and psychological warfare, along with saturation bombing of Taiwan. Finally there will be landing operations followed by advance to capture Taipei City the Capital and major military bases.
However the Taiwan military is very confident that the PLA operation will end in a fiasco due to its three inbuilt major weaknesses. The first major weakness is the PLA’s deficiency in equipment, vessels, planning and experience to carry out the massive amphibious operations required against a determined opposition. Assault landing on an enemy held beaches with well coordinate defences is a nightmarish operation. The communist amphibious invasion will be stopped in the Taiwan Straight itself and everything will be sent to the lockers of David Jones.
Second major weakness is the cross-sea transportation Ships required not only in large numbers but the ability for a quick turnover from either ends. PLAN with all its latest in amphibious warfare, still has neither the ability nor the expertise to plan and keep up with the enormous logistics and supplies required to consolidate on the beaches and thereafter to sustain the operations further inland under determined opposition.
Then the third major weakness is the flawed assumption made by the Chinese Central Military Commission and the Politburo that USA with its Allies and others will not come to the aid of Taiwan. It is just like Pakistan which each time when attacking India, just assumes certain strategic moves of India and other major powers, as it dreams and later faces the consequences.
The USA as part of AUKUS are going to be there at all costs in case of invasion of Taiwan by China. Even NATO and Japan are likely to be there in all probability. At this opportune time the Tibetans are most likely to start their Liberation War against the Communist China Occupation Forces. They will then certainly have the full backing of India.Even the freedom fighters in Xinjiang are not going to sit idle but grab the opportunity with backing of Taliban.
So at the minimum, PLA will have to divide its forces to fight the US and Japanese intervention forces, place major part of forces also in its Western Theatre for warding off the Tibetans and the East Turkmenistan Liberation Forces, and also have well placed forces to defend its own Coastal areas in the Southern and Eastern Theatre Commands. Even the Coastal areas of Northern Theatre are not going to be safe.
From existing Order of Battle of the Taiwan Armed Forces, it is quite clear that the Taiwan military will be able to stop the amphibious assault operations in the Taiwan Strait itself. Yes a bit of help from AUKUS will be required in resupply of defensive and offensive missiles.
The PLA has developed an overwhelming military in size but it has no battle experience and will certainly not be able to stand the massive casualties both in manpower and military capital assets during the amphibious operations. The Taiwan Air Force has around ten major air bases covering the entire island of Taiwan with capability to strike massive blows on both the invading PLAF and the PLAN. Chinese planning on overwhelming missile attack will also get a huge surprise when facing a massive reciprocal strikes. After all even Taiwan has been planning to thwart Chinese amphibious assault since last 70 years +.
So the dream annexation of Taiwan by the Chinese is not going to materialize. Rest of the free Democratic world will not permit this kind of naked aggression.
PLA is boasting of its superior technologies, such as J20 stealth fighters and unmanned aerial vehicles, which they claim are at the world’s forefront. They also claim that they will fight to the end in the Taiwan Straits. However they forget that Taiwanese too are determined to defend their Democratic way of life till the end. Also technologically Taiwan is not at “Sea “ but will match the Chinese quite well. Also the Chinese soldiers will to fight, as seen on the LAC in Chinese Occupied Ladhak, surely seems to be lacking. Theoretically, the Chinese technologies may have proved in “ military exercises” but when it comes to real battle then things turn out differently.
The US has also repeatedly expressed its support to the Taiwan for its self-defense. The US intervention along with other members of AUKUS is a foregone conclusion. The cost of invading Taiwan will prove to be horrendously costly for China and its PLA.
In fact, if PLA mounts the offensive, it’s entire Western Theatre will get engulfed in a massive rising for liberation, giving opportunity to India to liberate all of Chinese Occupied Ladhak. Also once the invasion fails, it may be not be a surprise at all, if Taiwan too mounts a small offensive on China to establish a lodgment for “ Democracy”.
By now every one in Taiwan and also rest of the World Capitals have become fully aware of the Chinese tactics of waging a propaganda and psychological warfare. Such tactics cuts no ice with determined defenders of democracy.
