A Chinese language fighter jet airplane crashes within the waters off Taiwan’s coast, prompting Chinese language warships to blockade the island for a “search and rescue”.
Taiwanese troopers manning Dadan Island, a rocky outcrop mere kilometres from China’s coast, start vanishing mysteriously.
Then one night time, a fishing boat lands on Dadan. A sign flare arcs into the inky sky – and illuminates Chinese language troopers who’ve spilled out of the boat and amassed on the seaside.
That is the important thing situation in Zero Day Assault, a brand new Taiwanese tv present a few fictional Chinese language army invasion. Beijing has lengthy considered self-ruled Taiwan as a part of its territory, vowing to “reunify” with it some day whereas not ruling out the usage of drive.
The collection, which aired its first episode over the weekend, was partially funded by the Taiwanese authorities, which hopes to lift consciousness concerning the menace China poses.
However the present has additionally landed at a extremely divisive second in Taiwan and attracted criticism of fear-mongering.
Zero Day Assault focuses on how numerous components of Taiwanese society grapple with the invasion, from the president to rural villagers.
The anthology collection options a number of eventualities on how an invasion may unfold, supplied by defence specialists consulted by the manufacturing staff.
These embrace the disruption of Taiwan’s communication traces; Chinese language disinformation campaigns; “fifth column” supporters of China stirring up unrest; and army officers turned collaborators who conspire towards Taiwan.
Showrunner Chen Hsin-mei advised the BBC she wished to make the collection to “warn the Taiwanese those who the warfare is absolutely coming,” citing China’s rising use of “disinformation campaigns and gray zone warfare to place our society in chaos and make us confused about our identification”.
The present depicts “fifth column” Chinese language sympathisers stirring up unrest in Taiwan [Zeroday Cultural and Creative]
Zero Day Assault’s message echoes the rhetoric of the ruling Democratic Progressive Social gathering (DPP)-led authorities and its chief President William Lai, who’ve warned about China’s menace and preached the necessity to increase the island’s defences.
Taiwan’s tradition ministry has partially funded Zero Day Assault, whereas the army supplied help for filming and manufacturing. Chunghwa Telecoms, Taiwan’s largest telecommunications firm by which the federal government has a minority stake, additionally contributed funding.
Different non-public traders embrace billionaire Robert Tsao, a widely known supporter of Taiwanese independence who has funded civil defence efforts.
Ms Chen advised the BBC that at no level did the authorities attempt to affect the present. She additionally stated she was not a member of the DPP or any political get together.
However even earlier than a single episode was broadcast, Zero Day Assault has turn into a political lightning rod, given the charged matter.
‘Promoting dried mangoes’
A 17-minute trailer posted on-line final yr by the manufacturing staff swiftly racked up tons of of 1000’s of views and feedback.
Whereas some praised it for its message, others criticised it for sowing anxiousness and discord with China.
This debate has intensified with the collection premiere, which was the most-watched present on a number of platforms on Saturday, in line with the manufacturing firm.
In current days Wang Hung-wei, a distinguished lawmaker from the opposition Kuomintang get together, criticised Zero Day Assault as “promoting dried mangoes”, a Taiwanese euphemism meaning stoking pointless worry concerning the destruction of 1’s nation.
Pointing to the federal government’s funding of the present, Ms Wang stated the DPP was “utilizing the state equipment to attain its political objectives”.
A commentary by Wang Kunyi of the Taiwan Worldwide Strategic Research Society accused the present of pushing Taiwan independence “in order that Taiwan turns into a spot that by no means is aware of peace”.
He added that it was proof of Lai’s authorities “as soon as once more utilizing all types of channels to play the ‘anti-Communist card’ and fire up anxiousness of warfare”.
The DPP and Lai are sometimes accused by their critics, together with the opposition and China, as pushing for Taiwan’s independence. Any formal declaration as such could be thought of as an act of warfare by Beijing.
Whereas Lai has previously described himself as a “pragmatic employee for Taiwan’s independence”, he has additionally insisted Taiwan has no must formally declare independence as a result of it’s already a sovereign nation.
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te on a current go to to a army base [Getty Images]
Zero Day Assault has additionally garnered optimistic opinions. One revealed by the general public broadcaster PTS stated it “expresses the concerns and anxieties of Taiwanese from numerous political camps in a extremely sensible and affordable method”.
“It is a good watch,” stated one commenter on Zero Day Assault’s Fb web page. “The Taiwanese individuals can relate to it because it displays our present state of affairs, the Chinese language Communist Social gathering should be repulsed as their ways have been uncovered.”
Some have praised the primary episode, which depicts the invasion quietly starting amid a contentious presidential election marked by violence and political combating.
They had been struck by how uncannily that episode mirrored the present fractious temper in Taiwanese politics. Final month the island held a controversial failed recall vote of Kuomintang lawmakers accused of being too pleasant with China. One other spherical will happen later this month.
This has led to questions concerning the present’s timing and if it was meant to affect the recall votes. Ms Chen advised the BBC that the present’s manufacturing had begun lengthy earlier than the recall motion began.
The dialogue across the present goes to the center of one in every of Taiwan’s most existential questions: how actual is the specter of a Chinese language invasion?
Taiwan has had its personal authorities because the finish of the Chinese language Civil Battle in 1949. Within the following many years, the island noticed largely peaceable relations and stronger financial ties with China.
Polls present that the majority Taiwanese don’t consider Beijing will assault imminently, and like the “established order” in Taiwan’s relationship with China, which suggests neither unifying with Beijing nor formally declaring independence.
However the query of a Chinese language invasion has turn into sharper and extra political lately.
Chinese language gray zone warfare has spiked, elevating fears that Chinese language warplanes and ships repeatedly getting into Taiwan’s airspace and waters may set off a battle.
A part of the invasion depicted in Zero Day Assault centres on Taiwanese troopers defending Dadan Island, a rocky outcrop mere kilometres from China [Zeroday Cultural and Creative]
The US warned this yr that China poses an “imminent menace” to Taiwan. American officers have repeatedly claimed that Chinese language President Xi Jinping is increase his army to be able to invading Taiwan by 2027.
Beijing has by no means confirmed this date. However it’s a warning that Lai takes severely.
He has pledged to extend Taiwan’s army spending, his authorities has carried out reforms within the military, and final month Taiwan staged its largest and longest ever Han Kuang drills geared toward defending towards a doable Chinese language assault.
Lai has confused that these efforts are geared toward defending Taiwan and to not search warfare. His political opponents nonetheless say he’s antagonising Beijing which reviles Lai as a “separatist”, and that he’s main Taiwan in direction of larger battle with China.
Beijing has repeatedly emphasised that it seeks “peaceable reunification” with Taiwan. It has dismissed any speak of a Chinese language invasion as a pretext manufactured by these in favour of Taiwan independence to drum up help.
Zero Day Assault has been seen as one such provocation. Final week, Chinese language defence ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang accused the DPP authorities of utilizing the present to “peddle anxieties and making an attempt to impress warfare”.
He stated Zero Day Assault was “plunging Taiwan into the flames of warfare and utilizing the Taiwan individuals as cannon fodder for ‘Taiwan independence’.
Ms Chen nonetheless insisted that her present is “not speaking dangerous about China or depicting it as evil”.
“We’re speaking about warfare, and the way Taiwanese individuals wrestle and reply to it. And that is as a result of the fear of warfare has by no means stopped, all around the world.”
