Central Television shows what appears to be the People’s Armed Police Force, or PAP, simulating attacks from inflatable boats.
Footage and pictures from Chinese state-run outlets show the extent of the combat training and battlefield simulation — blockade breakthroughs, grenade throwing, battlefield rescue, and group tactics in cold, hot, and high-altitude conditions.
This training indicates PAP soldiers “are getting ready” for a takeover of Taiwan, said Lyle Goldstein, director of Asia Engagement at the Defense Priorities think tank in Washington, DC.
Clandestine movement by water would be an essential capability to quell resistance in Taiwan’s populated areas near the coast and rivers.
“From my observation, they train hard; they are well equipped and disciplined, and they’re given stringent ideological training for the reason that they are probably, in my view, the primary reserve force for section invasion,” Goldstein said.
“If they went forward with a full-up invasion, I think an amphibious assault is not just conceivable but is quite a possibility,” he added.
Urban training
Since its founding in 1982, China’s PAP has been firmly placed under the country’s military.
These armed police are a shock force in China’s vast state security apparatus. The force plays a key internal security role, mostly in law enforcement, counterterrorism, disaster response, and maritime rights protection.
