Just making a thread using the Economist cover page title.

PLAAF planes have been flying close to TW, crossing the so called median line, which is of course not recognized by China, but somehow showing restraint by not crossing it before 2019. Of couse if you go before 90s and earlier, the 2nd generation PLAAF planes didn't cross it for pragmatic reason.

The lines no longer observed by 2019, and now it's going to be routine crossing with the new status quo. How close can PLAAF plane flew to TW? People on Taidong, a city in the east of TW can identify H-6K with naked eye sight.

YJ-12 among the ammunition carried by H-6K during the multiple days exercise.

Central mountain range was visible from H-6K.

Taipei was visible from H-6K.

J-16 seeing central mountain range.

J-16 approaching TW coast line.

DF Missiles

DF-11, DF-15B, DF-16 etc have been fired toward TW since day one of the military exercise. While TW green media initially denied the flying pass of the missiles, TW people have seen the missile trails from Mazhu heading towards TW.

From various places in TW.

From central mountain range.

TW media then gave various excuses why the missile weren't intercepted, including flying at an altitude of 100 km meaning it didn't intrude TW airspace (the part saying Patroit is not able to intercept missile in mid-course is correct because it's a terminal phase SAM), cost less than a Patriot 3 missile (TNT 20 million vs TNT 50 million) etc. LOL, if DF missile cost 40% of a Patriot missile, how are TW going to carry out air defence during war? Not only TW can't produce Patriot missile, PLA has over 10 K DF-11 alone in peace time.

The DF missiles, like most of PLA assets, are highly road mobile, able to launch from any place accessible by road in China.

DF-11 missile.

PHL-191 MLRS

In the military exercise against TW, we also see the PHL-191 in action. DF missiles at TNT 20 million is probably too costly, so let's plough TW with MLRS to de-militarize the island first. TW is only 1/16 the size of Ukraine, PLA don't need to carry out cruise missile or air strike just to reach the "inland" of TW. The east coast of TW used to be the "inland" of TW, nowadays the east coast of TW is no longer inaccessible to PLA like in 1996. MLRS alone can reach all part of TW, and PLA has all the means to strike TW from all directions, demonstrated in the phase of simulated air and naval strike against TW land and sea targets.

Officially said to field 300/370 mm ammunition with "over" 300 km range.

300 km range is just the beginning of PHL-191. The range is said to be over 7 times that of the 70 km range Type 03 MLRS it replaced. That means the range reached up to 500 km when using the 370 mm ammunition.

So striking TW west coast with 300 mm ammunition, and cover TW east coast by 370 mm ammunition. I wonder did PLA design this new MLRS with TW scenario in mind.

Choice of 300 mm and 370 mm.

Type of rocket ammunition.

Whether guided by positioning system such as Beidou, satellite, drones, or dispensing smart munition, it's a guided precision weapon.

An older MLRS.

MLRS in PLA is a guided precision weapon

Naval Approach

Not only PLAAF planes had been approaching TW, the PLAN ships are also approaching TW. Remember when this pix of PLAN taking a look at TW island? Green media at that time went into hysteria, tried to deny PLAN ship had approached close to TW, claiming the PLA put out a PS job.

What is true can't be denied.

Seriously, PLAN ship get so close that photos were taken by TW people on the coast.

This is a Kandding shadowing a 054A taken by people on Yilan.

In terms of equipment, TW ships are old ships, from the 50 years old Knox class to the 41 years Kidd class commissioned from 1981 onwards. Newest ROCN Kandding is as old as the oldest PLAN Luhu. Remember the Kidd shadowing the 052D 155 Nanjing?

When 155 Nanjing do a U turn, the Kidd couldn't follow up, LOL like an old man can't keep up with a youngster. Again, this video is taken by someone on the coast then posted to weibo.

Besides the 155 Nanjing from the East Sea Fleet, 174 Hefei from the South Sea Fleet participated as well. Seen here with Grandpa class in front.