One stone stirs up a thousand waves! A mainland man drove a speedboat into the Tamsui River on Taiwan Island, and there is a huge hole in the defense of the Taiwan military? Public opinion fryer on the island!
Recently, a seemingly inconspicuous incident has aroused widespread concern on both sides of the strait. A 60-year-old man surnamed Ruan from Fuzhou was arrested after driving a speedboat into the strategic location of Taiwan's Tamsui River.
According to Taiwan media reports, at around 11 a.m. on June 9, a mainland man took a mother boat from the western part of Taiwan Island, and then drove a covered speedboat directly into the Tamsui River. The Tamsui River has always been regarded as an important line of defense on the island. However, the speedboat was able to break through with ease and drive straight in.
The process was like entering an uncontrolled realm, and it was not until the speedboat arrived at the dock that the coast guard found and arrested the mainland man.
The Tamsui River defense line is an important fortification of the Taiwanese army in the northern region, located in the Tamsui River basin at the junction of Taipei and New Taipei City. Its strategic position is crucial as the Tamsui River is one of the main access routes into the Taipei Basin. The defensive line is arranged with a variety of modern defenses, including pillboxes, bunkers, air defense systems and surveillance equipment.
In addition, there is a well-trained army unit that is responsible for daily patrols and maintenance. In response to potential threats, the Tamsui River defense line also conducts frequent exercises to ensure rapid response and efficient combat capability. This line of defense is not only a physical barrier, but also a symbol of the great importance that Taiwan attaches to its own security.
There are three different theories about how this incident happened:
1. Lost said: The mainland man arrived at Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf, and after getting lost, he asked passers-by to help call the police to report the case, and the Taiwan Strait Patrol personnel arrived at the scene and arrested him.
2. Collision Theory: The man's speedboat collided with a traffic boat at the Tamsui Ferry Pier, and the Coast Guard officers only learned of the incident after the latter reported the incident.
3. Interception: Taiwan Strait Patrol officers claimed to be "in control of the whole process", and found the speedboat about 6 nautical miles off the coast of Tamsui, and dispatched a boat to intercept it, and finally intercepted it near Fisherman's Wharf.
The island's internal reactions to and doubts about the incident
As expected, people from all walks of life and people on the island reacted violently to this incident. This is not only because of the drama and suspense of the incident itself, but also because it directly involves Taiwan's security, defense, and future.
According to reports, during Taiwan's "Han Kuang" exercise in July, the key exercise items were how to hold on to the Tamsui River to prevent the mainland People's Liberation Army from taking this opportunity to go straight to Taipei and complete the "beheading" task after arriving at Lai Ching-te's official residence.
Lai Ching-te has been making wild remarks before, saying that Taiwan's defense is impenetrable, and he has repeatedly claimed that the People's Liberation Army cannot successfully land on Taiwan.
However, a mainland speedboat actually broke through the 12-nautical-mile defense line set up by the Taiwanese military, successfully passed the 6-nautical-mile cordon, and finally landed on the Tamsui River. Not only did he slap Lai Qingde's arrogance in the face, but he also made Taiwan's defense department ashamed!
Huang Weihan, a veteran media person, said that this exposed the loopholes in the defense of the Taiwan military, because there was no way to prevent speedboats from entering. This was a serious dereliction of duty, and many people on the island were shocked and disturbed by it.
Taiwan netizens were also shocked, believing that the so-called "defense of Taiwan" was weak and powerless, which made people seriously doubt the defense capability of the Taiwan military.
Kuomintang legislator Xu Qiaoxin even strongly questioned the so-called "full control" of the Taiwan Strait Patrol.
She pointed out that if there is really a whole process of mastery, why wait until the mainland man goes ashore and ask passers-by to call the police before the coast guard can be there? Isn't this reversing black and white?
It just so happened that two days ago, the "dark green" element Yu Beichen had just detonated public opinion because of his sarcastic remarks, in which he ridiculed the PLA's reliance on Google Maps and the possibility of getting lost when landing on the island, and jokingly said that the PLA would lack food supplies after landing on the island and would need to go to Taiwan's supermarkets to "grab food."
Xu Qiaoxin cleverly used Yu Beichen's "lost theory", saying that a 60-year-old man from the mainland came over, why should the DPP be so nervous?
He was apparently lost because he didn't use Google Maps, and hoped that the relevant authorities would quickly send him back safely so as not to stir up controversy again.
This incident is undoubtedly a resounding slap in the face to those who have repeatedly belittled the mainland's military power and claimed that the mainland army would "get lost."
The political and military wrestling behind it
Although this incident may seem simple, it reflects the complexity and sensitivity of the situation in the Taiwan Strait.
From the Obama-era "pivot to the Asia-Pacific" strategy, to the Trump-era trade war, technology war, and the Biden administration's "Indo-Pacific strategy", the United States has been strengthening its support for Taiwan and intends to use Taiwan as a pawn to contain China.
In order to realize its "Indo-Pacific strategy", the United States has not only stepped up arms sales to Taiwan, but also built a number of military alliances in East and Southeast Asia. These measures have not only increased tension in the Taiwan Strait, but also brought risks to regional peace.
For the United States, Taiwan is nothing more than a strategic pawn that can be used at any time. By providing weapons, the United States can not only contain China, but also gain huge economic benefits. However, once a conflict breaks out in the Taiwan Strait, it is extremely uncertain whether the United States will actually intervene.
Against this background, the Taiwan authorities have continued to purchase US weapons and engage in various provocative acts, hoping to confront the mainland by "resisting reunification by force."
However, military experts generally believe that such moves will hardly change the fact that the two sides of the strait have a balance of forces after all. The fact that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is able to drive straight into the country with just a large number of speedboats is enough to warn the Taiwan authorities of the fragility of their defense system.
The future direction of defense in the Taiwan Strait
The occurrence of the mainland men's speedboat incident has once again made everyone see the fragility and practical challenges of defense in the Taiwan Strait.
On the one hand, if the defense system of the Taiwan military and coast guard personnel cannot even block a small speedboat, then in the face of large-scale military operations of the PLA, their true combat effectiveness and defense capability will be questioned.
As you can see in the picture below, Guan Biling crossed her hands with a confused expression, she may never have expected how the mainland man came from.
On the other hand, for Taiwan, the actual effect of continuing to rely on US weapons and support may be far less optimistic than Lai Qingde imagined. Once it starts, Taiwan will not even have a chance to become a "second Ukraine", it will definitely be a lightning collapse, and Lai Qingde and others will be arrested!
The mainland has long made it clear that as long as Lai Qingde takes a risk, the PLA will not hesitate to fight, or even pay any price.
No matter how the United States plays the "Taiwan card" or how rampant the "Taiwan independence" forces are, they will not be able to stop the historical trend of China's reunification. National reunification is the consensus and firm goal of the Chinese nation, and any interference by external forces is nothing but a futile exercise and is doomed to self-destruction.