Monday, June 02, 2008

The Right Problem

This is progress:

Taiwan will hold its annual computer-simulated war game in June and a real-fire war game in September to test its ability to counter a Chinese attack, press reports said on Monday. President Ma Ying-jeou will preside over the computer-simulated war game, coded Hankuang (Chinese Glory) 24, against China's attack from June 22-27, according to a Central News Agency (CNA) report published Monday.

The computerized war game will simulate Chinese warplanes bombing Taiwan's airports, harbors, power stations and bridges and Chinese troops landing on Taiwan shores.


It is progress because the game actually assumes the Chinese will try to invade Taiwan rather than the Taiwanese assumption last year that the PLA would just try a drive-by shooting attack with missiles only:

Taiwan's military and analysts increasingly feel China would avoid an amphibious invasion to win back the island and rather opt for a surprise attack against key installations and so-called "decapitation strikes" aimed at Taiwan leaders.


How the Taiwanese could once think that is beyond me.

But now at least the Taiwanese are practicing for the actual mainland threat to their freedom.