Media: China aims to “decapitate” Taiwan

China conducted military exercises in which troops practised a strategy simulating the “decapitation” of Taiwan.

The operation simulated the elimination of the island’s top leadership, according to Nikkei Asia, which cited footage from state-run China Central Television (CCTV).

“Chinese forces recently held a 'decapitation' strike drill that appears to simulate the removal of Taiwan's leadership,” the report said.

The exercises may have been intended to demonstrate Chinese military capabilities similar to the U.S. operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. 

According to the footage, the operation could have included identifying a target building using a military drone, followed by a special forces team conducting a nighttime raid. To move past guard posts silently, the troops reportedly used military-grade crossbows.

During the exercise, which lasted less than two minutes, four “terrorists” were “eliminated.”

This is not the first time China has held such drills apparently targeting Taiwanese leaders. In July 2015, CCTV broadcast footage of military personnel conducting exercises at an Inner Mongolia training base using a structure resembling Taiwan’s Presidential Office Building.

By Vugar Khalilov