On Aug 14 Senior Colonel Chen Xi, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National
Defense, criticized Taiwan's Han Kuang 42 exercise, citing reports that Lai
Ching‑te rehearsed a 'wartime escape' route, a tank lost components, a fighter
overran a runway, and simulated communications slowdowns and staged network
outages provoked public panic. Chen accused the DPP of manufacturing war panic
and exposing civilians by turning cities into battlefields, warned that 'Taiwan
independence' is a dead end that cannot win or be changed, and said the PLA
remains on constant alert, steadily enhancing real-world anti‑secession and
anti‑interference combat capabilities to defend national sovereignty and
maintain Taiwan Strait stability.
