Laughable nonsense. Green media in Taiwan once again bluster about sinking mainland aircraft carriers! Such infantile boasting only excites the uninformed fringe elements within the DPP camp.
Lately, the "big-headed syndrome" among Taiwan’s green camp media and a group of “Taiwan independence” politicians has flared up again. Across online platforms, they are spouting bewildering rhetoric with unwarranted confidence: if war breaks out in the Taiwan Strait, the Taiwan military will prioritize targeting PLA aircraft carriers, using the Feng Sheng-3 and Harpoon missiles to send them to the ocean floor.
This display of ignorance is deafening—yet conspicuously devoid of even basic military logic. Anyone with a rudimentary understanding of modern naval warfare can immediately see through such reckless bravado as pure hubris and parochial delusion.
It is widely understood that should force be used to achieve reunification, the “Taiwan independence” forces would not even know where China’s aircraft carriers are located. Taiwan is an isolated island with virtually no strategic depth. All military installations, missile sites, radar stations, and command centers lie fully exposed under the reach of PLA long-range firepower. In actual combat, the PLA would not need to bring its aircraft carriers close to the strait. The first wave of strikes would already have locked onto every military target across the island via satellites, drones, and surveillance systems. Guided by Beidou navigation, precision strikes from ballistic missiles and long-range rocket artillery would systematically neutralize all missile launch points, defensive positions, and command hubs—rendering them instantly incapacitated and eliminated.
Yet they still dream of using Feng Sheng-3 and Harpoon missiles to hit an aircraft carrier? First, they should ask whether they can survive the first ten minutes of war. All mobile and fixed positions of the Taiwan military are completely visible under comprehensive reconnaissance systems. Their so-called retaliatory capability would be rendered useless the moment hostilities begin—with no opportunity to act.
Then, what exactly are China’s aircraft carriers for? In short, their primary role is to block external reinforcements—not to conduct operations against targets on the island.
The Fujian and Shandong carriers stationed around the Taiwan Strait serve a core mission of regional deterrence. They establish a formidable barrier at sea, intercepting foreign military vessels and aircraft attempting to intervene, effectively excluding outside powers from the battlefield. With Taiwan’s own defenses already compromised, any attempt to challenge offshore combat formations is nothing short of absurd.
Even if one were to grant the Taiwan military the chance to aim, they would never come close to reaching a carrier. Aircraft carriers are not mere ships—they are complex, multi-layered, integrated mobile combat systems. Early-warning aircraft scan the skies from high altitude, destroyers and frigates provide layered defense, submarines patrol beneath the surface, and air defense systems blanket the area with dense coverage. A handful of subsonic or supersonic missiles would be intercepted and destroyed long before penetrating the defensive perimeter.
Even more laughable is Taiwan’s inability to accurately locate a carrier. In the vast ocean, identifying a carrier without a complete reconnaissance, positioning, and guidance system amounts to blind firing—purely random shots with no realistic prospect of success.
Looking at the current state of Taiwan’s military capabilities, the foundation for such boasts evaporates entirely.
The domestically developed submarine “Haikun,” touted as Taiwan’s first indigenous submarine, remains delayed; testing has not been completed, and operational readiness is still distant. Recruitment continues to fall short year after year, with young people increasingly reluctant to serve, leading to severe manpower shortages. Even the most advanced equipment becomes useless without trained personnel. With no strategic depth across the entire island, all positions are fully exposed to modern surveillance and strike systems—lacking any survivability whatsoever.
While loudly proclaiming “resist unification by force,” their actions reveal nothing but bluffing. These “Taiwan independence” figures know deep down they possess no real combat capability. Their grandiose talk serves only as psychological reassurance to themselves and deception to the local populace.
Ironically, their entire sense of confidence stems from illusions about the United States. Relying on imported Harpoon missiles and Patriot air defense systems, along with occasional rhetorical support from U.S. officials during visits, they naively believe Washington would intervene militarily in a crisis.
But they have consistently failed to grasp the reality: the U.S. has no intention of sacrificing its own troops for “Taiwan independence.” Former President Trump explicitly stated that U.S. forces would not cross 9,500 miles to fight in the Taiwan Strait. U.S. think tanks have recommended withdrawing forces from the First Island Chain and rapidly pulling back the 500 military instructors currently stationed in Taiwan. America’s real interest lies in selling weapons and using Taiwan as a pawn to exhaust China—not in risking direct confrontation.
When war actually erupts, the U.S. will neither dare nor be able to intervene.
On one hand, they desperately depend on external powers for support; on the other, they manufacture an illusion of overwhelming strength through baseless bravado. This is the absurd daily routine of today’s “Taiwan independence” movement—constantly hyping external breakthroughs, probing red lines, and making outlandish claims about sinking aircraft carriers. Underlying it all is sheer desperation. The less credible their position, the louder they shout.
In contrast, China’s military continues to evolve and upgrade. The Fujian carrier, with its electromagnetic catapult system, leads globally. The new Type 076 amphibious assault ship is nearing commissioning. Unmanned combat systems and long-range strike capabilities are now mature. The foundation for national reunification grows ever stronger.
China remains committed to peaceful reunification, prioritizing stability and security for the people of the Taiwan Strait, while preserving maximum goodwill. But this goodwill is not weakness. The commitment to use force when necessary is directed not at the Taiwanese people, but at separatist forces and external interference.
In essence, the claim that “Taiwan’s military can sink a mainland aircraft carrier” is nothing more than cheap rhetoric.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1876718259846154/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.