TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Five legislators from Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨), issued sharp criticism of recent Chinese military drills on Wednesday (April 2), calling for immediate government action to bolster the capital's defenses. Their demands follow a provocative move by the People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command, which on Tuesday announced new military exercises accompanied by a video prominently featuring Taipei's distinctive skyline. The imagery of Taiwan's capital in Chinese military promotional materials has ignited intense public discourse across the island nation.
The five KMT legislators — Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇), Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強), Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀), Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆), and Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) — issued a unified condemnation of the military activities and directed their appeal to both the Ministry of National Defense (MND, 國防部) and the Taipei City Government, urging the immediate organization of comprehensive readiness exercises. In her assessment of the situation, Wang drew particular attention to specific landmarks visible in the PLA's video, including Taiwan's iconic Taipei 101 skyscraper (台北101) and Hankou Street (漢口街). She emphasized the strategic significance of these locations, noting with evident concern that Hankou Street's close proximity to Taiwan's Presidential Office represents a particularly troubling element of the Chinese military's messaging.
Legislator Lai characterized China's increasingly frequent military exercises as both unwelcome and deliberately targeted at Taiwan's capital, reinforcing the urgent need for Taipei to conduct appropriate preparatory defense drills. His colleague Lee elaborated on the perceived hostile intent behind the Chinese military's production, pointing specifically to the inclusion of both Taipei 101 and the popular shopping district Ximending (西門町) in the footage. Lee articulated the sentiment that Taiwan's citizens overwhelmingly prefer peaceful exchanges across the Taiwan Strait rather than facing continued military intimidation from Beijing.
In his forceful remarks, Lo condemned the escalating military threats from across the strait and insisted that Taiwan's government must achieve full preparedness for scenarios in which the capital could face potential paralysis. He specifically advocated for implementing high-intensity integrated defense exercises to enhance readiness. Completing the unified front of the five legislators, Hsu expressed her support for expanding urban warfare drills to include the general public, emphasizing the delicate but necessary balance between maintaining peace and achieving adequate defensive preparedness in the face of growing tensions.
