‘Zero Day’ TV Show: Taiwan’s Fictional Portrayal of a Chinese Invasion Hits Home

A new Taiwanese TV series underscores Taiwan’s unpreparedness for war.

Commentary

Taiwan’s new drama series, “Zero Day,” set to air next year, fictionally portrays a potential Chinese invasion, highlighting the island’s unpreparedness while also showcasing the courage and heroism of Taiwanese defenders.

As tensions between China’s communist regime and Taiwan escalate, “Zero Day“ depicts a harrowing Chinese blockade and invasion. The 10-episode series, partly funded by the Taiwanese government, is set to air next year. As of Aug. 8, its nearly 18-minute teaser has already garnered 1.5 million views on YouTube, evoking tens of thousands of emotional responses.

The film depicts China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) landing in Taiwan after a presidential election, timely as Taiwan’s new president was just inaugurated in May. The trailer’s release coincided with Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang military exercises, the largest drills to simulate combat and prepare for scenarios like a Chinese invasion. This year, the drills included enemy landings, protecting infrastructure, ensuring supply chains, and military-civilian cooperation—concepts explored in the show.

In the trailer, a TV anchorwoman calmly announces that the PLA has attacked Kinmen Island and the People’s Republic of China has declared war. The regime establishes a blockade, isolating Taiwan, grounding flights, and closing ports. When the camera cuts, the anchorwoman asks, confused and upset, “So there’s going to be a real war?” She then asks her director if they should continue reporting from the news studio, and he responds, “Where can we go?”

The series covers cyber warfare and the Chinese regime’s use of disinformation. In the trailer, a social media influencer urges Taiwanese not to resist the invasion, saying, “Taiwanese people shouldn’t fight their own people,” echoing the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) narrative that Taiwan is part of China. In another scene, a presidential news broadcast is cut off and replaced by a message from Beijing, assuring Taiwanese people that the PLA will protect them if they do not fight, under the guise of “we all belong to one family.”

In the film, young people are playing video games, oblivious to the invasion, until Chinese hackers cut the electricity and internet. This lack of concern mirrors reality; after the Han Kuang military exercises, both Washington and Taipei realized Taiwan was behind in recruiting young people as army volunteers and creating a reserve force to train civilians and veterans. Lower birth rates, increased wealth, and a tight job market make young people less likely to join the military. This year, only 6 percent of eligible conscripts entered the army, with most obtaining student deferrals to complete their studies. Consequently, men born in 2005 will not be fully trained until 2027.

Former President Donald Trump recently told Bloomberg Businessweek that Taiwan should pay for U.S. protection, similar to his remarks about Europe and NATO. This should not be seen as an abandonment of Taiwan but rather a call for Taipei to increase its own defense efforts and meet Washington halfway. It is unfair for the United States to provide soldiers and advanced weapons to compensate for Taiwanese young people opting out of military service.

“Zero Day” may become an important geopolitical tool. First, producing such a series shows courage, as it is certain to elicit ire from the CCP. Second, the show serves to educate Taiwanese people on the reality of what could lie just around the corner. “Zero Day” may wind up being a great educational tool, waking up the Taiwanese people to the harsh realities of what a PLA invasion might look like.

In the trailer, the Taiwanese president gives an impassioned speech about how the people of Taiwan are united. “Although we make different choices, we together have chosen Taiwan. Standing on this piece of land, as Taiwanese people, what we are up against is not a choice between war and shame, but to ensure that our way of living will never be taken away.”

This TV series may help recruit people, stir patriotism, and make young people recognize the importance of military service. It may also motivate civilians in next year’s Han Kuang exercises to take their rehearsals and role in national defense more seriously.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

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