(Dan Tri) – China released a series of propaganda videos with wartime images and language to send a tough message to the US amid escalating tensions.
Screenshot of a simulated video from the Chinese air force shows the missile hitting a runway similar to the US base on Guam island.
The soldiers ran through the forest, through the waves, through the smoke and fire and were ready to sacrifice for `motherland`.
“If war breaks out, this is our answer,” the song’s chorus in the video emphasizes.
Among the series of videos released by the Chinese military, at least two have the refrain `if war breaks out`.
Image from a video showing the operation of a Chinese H6 strategic bomber targeting a runway at Anderson Air Force Base in Guam.
Chinese propaganda videos are not uncommon, but a series of videos posted both online and in state media in recent weeks are attention-grabbing moves and may be intended to convey North’s message.
According to the New York Times, China released these videos aimed at two main subjects, the US and Taiwan, as the two are getting closer and closer together.
The propaganda video was posted after a series of Chinese military exercises in recent weeks, including ballistic missile test launches and access to Taiwan’s airspace.
This summer, Beijing conducted exercises simulating attack scenarios in the Taiwan Strait.
China’s reaction is said to be in response to two visits by two senior US officials to Taiwan, including US Secretary of Health Alex Azar – the highest-ranking US official to visit Taiwan since Washington
China’s purpose
By organizing exercises and releasing propaganda videos, China wants to draw a `red line` with the US, while signaling that Beijing will not back down from a military conflict.
A current risk is that China’s propaganda campaign could turn into more provocative actions at a time when US-China relations are clearly deteriorating.
In Washington, President Donald Trump’s hospitalization for Covid-19 treatment has `cast a shadow` over all other activities, making many people believe that the Trump administration is in disarray, and raising concerns about a vacuum.
After President Trump announced he had Covid-19, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cut short his trip to Asia this week.
Chinese air force video screenshot shows Chinese H6 bomber carrying out simulated attack.
China is facing pressure over the Taiwan issue.
When China feels directly challenged on any front, it seems to signal that it will not back down.
A video recently released by China recorded a simulated air strike on Guam – a US territory in the Pacific and where Washington has a military base.
The Global Times, China’s state-run newspaper, recently warned that the US is `playing with fire` by supporting Taiwan.
“I don’t think it’s just a threat (by China) and I also don’t think it’s a way to vent anger.
China’s latest wave of propaganda comes at the same time as the 70th anniversary of the Korean War – a war that involved both the Chinese military and United Nations forces led by the US.
As US-China tensions escalate, Chinese officials and propaganda activists see the Korean War anniversary as an opportunity to remind the Chinese people that they have opposed world superpowers before.
China’s propaganda machine often uses words and images related to war.
President Xi Jinping also often evokes wartime psychology when calling on people to overcome difficulties.
Professor Zhu Songling, director of the Institute of Taiwan Studies at Beijing Union University, said that the Trump administration wants to test China’s limits.
“The US plays the Taiwan card many times and with high frequency,” Mr. Zhu said.
In addition to the Taiwan issue, China has also recently stepped up its sovereignty claim in the East China Sea – where Beijing has a dispute with Japan, a US ally in the region, around the Senkaku Islands.
Japan this week filed a protest against China’s establishment of a digital museum to lay claim to a group of Japanese-controlled islets in the East China Sea.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary declared that China has `no position` to create a website related to such islands, and said that Japan has requested to take down this website through diplomatic channels.
Nick John