Taiwan TV series depicting China invasion sparks anxious debate

TAIPEI – The trailer of a TV series portraying a Chinese attack on Taiwan has prompted a wave of emotional response and discussion on the self-ruled island that Beijing has vowed to make its own, by force if necessary.

The teaser for Zero Day, a Taiwanese production partly funded by the government, has given many viewers in the democracy a sense of urgency and stirred calls for greater military readiness.

Its release this week coincided with annual air raid drills to prepare the island’s 23 million residents in the event of an invasion by the Chinese military.

“I burst into tears watching this. I feel heavy-hearted, and it’s scary. But this is what we need to face as Taiwanese,” said a popular YouTube comment.

“We need to make the best preparation for the worst scenario,” another commenter said.

The nearly 18 minute-long trailer depicts a fictitious ploy by the People’s Liberation Army to mount a naval blockade of Taiwan in the guise of a search-and-rescue mission. It also shows cyber attacks disrupting infrastructure and sabotages by Beijing’s collaborators in the prelude to war.

Ms Cheng Shin-mei, the producer of the series, which is expected to air in 2025, said: “The threat is not something new, but we have been avoiding talking about it due to its sensitivity.”

The heightened emotions may help the Taiwanese military recruit. Security analysts generally see Taiwan as ill-prepared to deter or resist China, citing the island’s shrinking military and number of voluntary soldiers.

In a sign that it is serious about defending itself, Taiwan in 2022 announced an extension of its compulsory military service to one year from four months, effective in 2024.

Funding for the 10-part series came from Taiwan’s Culture Ministry and Mr Robert Tsao, founder and former chairman of United Microelectronics Corporation, Taiwan’s second-largest contract chipmaker, according to a CNA report.

In recent years, Mr Tsao has been a vocal advocate of better defence, and in 2022, pledged NT$1 billion (S$41 million) to help train three million civilian soldiers.

Ms Cheng said her team is in talks with a major international streaming platform to release the series, hoping to draw more global attention to the threats Taiwan faces from China. She declined to publicly name the company.

The prospect of a cross-strait military conflict has been present for decades but rarely addressed bluntly in Taiwanese TV shows, partly due to the topic’s sensitivity and commercial implications.

Several actors and directors dropped out of the project due to fears of offending China, Ms Cheng said.

“They usually have to sign contracts with clauses that forbid them to be involved in politically sensitive topics, and violators would need to pay for any loss caused by that.” BLOOMBERG