TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The head of a Taiwan-based think tank said Taiwanese troops "annihilated" People's Liberation Army (PLA) special forces during a Japanese tabletop scenario simulating a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
From Saturday to Sunday (July 15-16), the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies (JFSS) held a two-day tabletop exercise simulating a Chinese military invasion of Taiwan in 2027. INSDR Chair Huoh Shoou-yeh (霍守業), a four-star general, participated as an observer in the exercise, symbolizing the "constructive development" of Taiwan-Japan relations, according to Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), director of defense strategy and resources at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), per Liberty Times.
Su said that since the INDSR participated in the form of an academic exchange and under the premise of respecting the organizer, he cannot disclose detailed information. However, Su said that media reports that China occupied Taiwan within one day during the exercise are incorrect.
JFSS tabletop exercise. (CNA photo)
Su said the invading Chinese special forces were "completely annihilated" by the Taiwanese military during the simulation. This also signifies that the joint command group, led by retired foreign generals, acknowledged the Taiwanese military is capable of executing counter-decapitation missions, Su added.
As for the process of China’s military invasion of Taiwan, Su said that the tabletop exercise focused on the strategic level and did not extend to the combat level. Su stated that in the simulation, the PLA conducted a landing operation from New Taipei City’s Bali District to Hsinchu City's Nanliao Fishing Port.
However, following a counterattack by the Taiwanese military, "most of the landing forces were annihilated, and only a small number of remnants were captured at the beachhead." At this point, the U.N. and other international organizations intervened to mediate a truce, but Taiwan, the U.S., and Japan refused and reached the consensus that they would only agree to a ceasefire when they had succeeded in driving back the PLA forces completely.
Su closed by stating that the scenarios to be rehearsed next week during the 39th Han Kuang exercises, an actual military exercise of the Taiwanese military, closely resemble the scenarios used in this tabletop exercise. Su said this reflects the high degree of realism achieved in the Japanese simulation.
