TAIPEI – China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) recently conducted a drill simulating a targeted strike, prompting Taiwan to bolster its security measures, including equipping military police with advanced weaponry.
PLA Drill Simulates Targeted Strike
Under the cover of darkness, the PLA drill involved drones identifying and surveilling a building, followed by a special forces team using military crossbows to neutralize perimeter guards before “killing” four mock terrorists within two minutes. Footage of the exercise was released by state-run China Central Television (CCTV) on Jan. 15.
Analysts say the drill bore the hallmarks of a “decapitation” strike – a military operation aimed at removing government leadership to paralyze decision-making. CCTV simultaneously aired an interview with Associate Professor Hu Yong of Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, who stated the PLA has contingency plans to target Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and other “Taiwan independence ringleaders.”
“Once the decision is made to act, the PLA will be certain of its success to take down Lai,” Hu declared.
Taiwan Responds with Enhanced Security
These actions have been perceived as thinly veiled threats and an attempt at intimidation towards the administration of President Lai, whom Beijing distrusts and labels a “dangerous separatist.”
“China is demonstrating political intimidation, and the drill is intended to put pressure on Taiwan and its leaders,” said Dr. Su Tze-yun, a military expert at Taiwan’s Institute for National Defence and Security Research (INDSR).
In response, Taiwan has increased security measures. On Jan. 18, Taipei’s military police revealed a newly formed unit equipped with US-made Stinger anti-air missiles and Javelin anti-tank systems.
Taiwan has strengthened its military police force in the capital, which protects the presidency, government, and top-level defence command. The 202nd Command, responsible for presidential and vice-presidential residences, has doubled in size to approximately 10,000 personnel since 2024.
According to Thomas Lim, a military expert at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, the Stinger missile provides ground soldiers with the capability to respond to low-altitude aerial threats, such as helicopters and drones. Javelin systems are designed to counter fortifications, military vehicles, and enemy bunkers, particularly armored targets like tanks.
“The commonality between the two is their mobility and manpower requirements – both assets can be deployed by a single soldier, and are ‘lightweight’,” Lim said.
“Having aerial coverage (of the Stingers) can provide a significant psychological boost for ground soldiers to complete their mission taskings,” he added.
Decapitation Strike Planning Dates Back Years
International interest in decapitation strikes has grown following the United States’ capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro on Jan. 3. While experts believe this event will have little direct impact on China’s longstanding approach to “reunification” with Taiwan, it has served as a reminder of the importance of strengthening resilience.
Taiwan’s Vice-Minister of Defence Hsu Szu-chien assured the public on Jan. 19 that the island has long prepared for similar contingencies, including detailed plans involving secret escape routes and reinforced bunkers.
Experts also noted Taiwan’s air defence and radar systems are more advanced and integrated than those in Venezuela, where Chinese-built radars reportedly failed to track American stealth fighters effectively. “What we use in Taiwan are quite advanced high-tech reconnaissance and command systems sold to us by the US,” said Associate Professor Chen Shih-min, a security analyst at National Taiwan University.
“China’s drill hopes to serve as a warning that it has the capability to do what the US did in Venezuela, but Taiwan is not Venezuela,” he added.
Chinese forces have been planning possible decapitation strikes against Taiwan for years. In 2015, CCTV aired footage of PLA soldiers conducting a mock assault at a training site resembling Taiwan’s Presidential Office Building. The site now includes replicas of other key Taiwanese government buildings, with the total training area expanding nearly threefold since 2020, according to analysis by the Japan Institute for National Fundamentals.
During China’s war games in December 2025, decapitation was a key theme, with armed forces carrying out simulated attacks against specific targets, according to Senior Colonel Zhang Chi of China’s National Defence University. “This signifies that the PLA has formidable capabilities to deliver precise sanctions against the principal ‘Taiwan independence’ criminals whenever necessary,” he said in Chinese state media.
Taiwan-based analysts remain confident in the island’s defence capabilities. The INDSR’s Dr. Su said that if the scenario broadcast on Jan. 15 was intended as a demonstration of a possible decapitation strike, it would likely end in failure. “Bows and arrows make less noise, but their usage here shows that the combat capabilities of China’s special forces units may actually be relatively limited,” he noted.
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