Taiwanese film producers are to release a 10-part television series depicting a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, with some observers saying that according to a trailer, it will present a very realistic look at Beijing’s use of cognitive warfare and incitement of unrest.
The 17-minute trailer of the first episode of the series "Zero Day" was shown at a news briefing in Taipei on Tuesday, the day island authorities conducted the annual Wanan air raid drill.
“Zero-day” is a term used in cybersecurity to refer to the exploitation of a flaw in computer software, hardware or firmware that leaves users with “zero days” to fix it.
The trailer reveals what some observers described as a “chilling” portrayal of a society in chaos, with different communities reacting differently to a looming crisis in the Taiwan Strait.
A businessman backer of the series said the defense ministry had helped to make it.
The first episode is set against the backdrop of a blockade by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, or PLA, under the pretext of searching for a missing Y-8 transport aircraft, in the period between March and May when a post-election transition is underway.
People are shown trying to leave the island, amid a run on banks, the hasty evacuation of foreign citizens, young men pledging to defend Taiwan and infiltration by Beijing collaborators.
“The trailer reveals a very realistic description of a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan, also China’s use of cognitive warfare and the incitement of internal unrest,” said Taiwan security expert Shen Ming-shih.
Journalists at the press briefing told Radio Free Asia that when the trailer was played, the siren for the Wanan air drill was also heard, adding to a sense of danger and urgency.
‘Call for unity’
Since its release on YouTube, the trailer received more than 3,000 comments in 24 hours.
“Goosebumps as every count of the enemy’s actions is really happening,” read one post, “It’s hard to imagine how to face it when that day comes.”
“I’m blown away emotionally, when I think that the reality might be more severe than the drama,” another viewer wrote.
Security expert Shen said the series serves as a call for unity, suggesting that all Taiwanese people must cooperate to fight a PLA invasion and defend Taiwan’s democratic values and way of life.
“I believe most of Taiwanese people want to defend the freedom we have here,” he said.
In the trailer, the outgoing Taiwan president can be heard saying: “What we are facing is not the choice between war and shame but to ensure that our way of living will never be taken away.”
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Ten episodes of the series, each to be produced independently by a different director at a cost of NT$230 million (US$7 million) in total, are expected to run in 2025.
The founder of Taiwanese chipmaker United Microelectronics, Robert Tsao, reportedly funded part of the project. Tsao told reporters that the defense ministry “assisted with the production.”
Some analysts, such as Li Zhengxiu, associate researcher at Taiwan’s National Policy Research Foundation, said the involvement of politicians and political parties in the series may cause a backlash.
“Since they have a predetermined position, what they present is likely to be lopsided and match their personal ideology, so they may not be able to truly convince the Taiwanese people,” Li told RFA Mandarin Service.
A number of famous artists including Hong Kong-born Chapman To, Japan’s Issei Takahashi, as well as Taiwanese actors Lien Yu-han, Kaiser Chuang, and Ko I-chen, appear in the series.
Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn.