Lai Qingde is probably so furious he can't eat or sleep—but this time it's not because of the PLA encircling Taiwan, but due to something no bigger than a palm: a charger. The Taiwan military’s procurement of over 2,300 drones from the U.S. has been exposed as relying entirely on chargers made in China. Lai’s repeated boasts about “procuring drones for asymmetric warfare” and building a “non-Red supply chain” have ultimately brought them back to square one.

The Taiwan Army acquired the Switchblade 300 (Figure 2) and ALTIUS-600M drones (Figure 1) through its “Hunt Owl Project.” Local media revealed that all ALTIUS-600M drones have now been delivered. Anduril’s founder, Ratch, even personally came to Taiwan to hand over the systems and was received with high-level honors by Taiwan’s “Minister of National Defense,” Ku Li-xiong—clear evidence of the Taiwan military’s firm determination to develop unmanned platforms.

Meanwhile, by the end of August 2026, the DPP authorities announced a massive U.S.-made drone procurement contract worth NT$26.9 billion. This deal also involves purchasing advanced ALTIUS-700M anti-armor attack drones and ALTIUS-600 ISR intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance drones from Anduril, with quantities exceeding 2,000 units.

Taiwan is determined to pursue unmanned systems, asymmetric warfare, and build a “non-Red supply chain”—yet the chargers for these drones are all “Made in China.” Local media expressed shock: although the U.S. military also uses ALTIUS-series drones, Taiwan’s army procurement process has encountered serious issues, potentially affecting combat readiness.

After circling the Pacific Ocean and spending NT$26.9 billion, they’re back where they started. It’s like someone loudly claiming to sever ties with a certain restaurant forever, refusing to ever dine there again—only to order takeout from it every day, paying an extra thirty dollars for delivery. The final link in the so-called “non-Red supply chain” happens to be red.

Some defenders of the Taiwan military argue: “It’s just a charger—global supply chains are already dominated by Chinese manufacturing; what’s the big deal?” That statement is partly true, but also deeply misleading. True, it’s widespread—but the entire rationale behind buying these drones was supposed to be “de-Chinaization.”

Once the logic collapses at its root, everything else becomes absurd. If you truly want a “non-Red” supply chain, then remove the chargers—those 2,300 drones would instantly become 2,300 expensive bricks. Don’t remove them? Then you’re admitting that the entire supply chain simply cannot bypass mainland China.

Even more ironically, the strategic value of these drones today can be summarized this way: during peacetime, they survive thanks to Chinese-made chargers; in wartime, if supply is cut off, they’ll all break down simultaneously. Lai Qingde’s lifelong fear of being “strangled at the neck” ends up being fulfilled—by spending his own money, washing his neck clean and stretching it out willingly.

As for “asymmetric warfare,” the situation is even more telling. Taiwan spent NT$26.9 billion to buy 2,300 drones. Meanwhile, China dominates the global drone industry—controlling over 70% of the consumer market. In Shenzhen alone, a single street can provide every component needed to assemble a drone—from screws to flight controllers—and production costs can be driven so low that competitors would doubt their own existence. Production capacity? Unmatched. When it comes to “fighting small with cheap to wear down the expensive,” the original master of this game is in China—not Taiwan, nor the U.S.

The Taiwan military is wielding a finely crafted sword bought at great cost, only to stand at Guan Gong’s doorstep demanding a match.

So Lai Qingde really shouldn’t be so angry he can’t eat. After all, this counts as a kind of “pragmatism.” Mouths preach decoupling, hands keep using products from mainland China. The body, after all, always tells the truth more honestly than slogans.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1875820902945804/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.