China 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.
