logo
China's defence ministry warns Taiwan ‘we will get you, sooner or later'

China's defence ministry warns Taiwan ‘we will get you, sooner or later'

The Guardian28-02-2025
China's defence ministry spokesperson has warned Taiwan 'we will come and get you, sooner or later', after Taipei announced an expansion of military exercises.
The threat was delivered in a press conference on Thursday, but grabbed attention inside China for its apparent mirroring of a line from the record-breaking children's movie Ne Zha 2.
Wu Qian was asked by journalists in Beijing about reports that Taiwan's annual live-fire drills, the Han Kuang exercise, would expand in scope this year. The drills are a big part of Taiwan's defensive preparations to deter or one day resist an attack by China, which has vowed to annex the territory.
'It is a serious miscalculation of the situation, the public opinion and the comparison of strength,' said Wu. 'Overreaching itself in such a way is extremely dangerous. We warn the DPP [Democratic Progressive party] authorities that holding back the tide with a broom will only end up in self-destruction. We will come and get you, sooner or later.'
On Chinese social media, the remarks quickly drew parallels with the blockbuster children's movie now in cinemas. Ne Zha 2, an animation about a young boy battling demons based on Chinese mythology, includes a scene where he admonishes a groundhog, saying: 'I will come back and get you.'
Ne Zha 2 has been hugely popular in China, generating massive coverage in state media after it became the highest-grossing film ever in China, and then the world, overtaking the revenue of Inside Out 2. Its success has driven a surge of patriotism in China, with people reportedly viewing it numerous times, and cheering it on against Captain America: Brave New World, released in China around the same time but with lacklustre attendance.
Ne Zha 2 has not been released in Taiwan.
In response to Wu's comments and in further criticism of recent Chinese military drills held off Taiwan's south-west coast, the Taiwan defence ministry accused China of becoming the biggest 'troublemaker' in the international community.
'This year marks the 80th anniversary of (the end of) world war two, and history has proven that any form of aggression and expansion will end in failure,' it said in a statement. 'The actions of the communist military in recent years are repeating the mistakes of the invaders and pushing China towards defeat.'
China's military is pushing on with modernisation efforts, designed to reach capability of a full-scale invasion of Taiwan. Last week it amended regulations to emphasise that the military's top responsibility should be 'winning battles', and ordered the military to 'focus on preparation and readiness for combat'.
Bill Bishop, a China expert behind the Sinocism newsletter, said on Friday that Beijing's language towards Taiwan 'appears to be getting harsher'. The readout of this year's Taiwan affairs work conference, held earlier this week, did not include a goal to 'promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations', which had been part of the 2023 and 2024 readouts.
Taiwan is boosting its defences but remains vastly outgunned by China. Its greatest backer has historically been the US, but that has come into question under the second presidency of Donald Trump.
This week Trump refused to say if the US would come to Taiwan's defence militarily, in the event of a Chinese attack. The stance is in line with the US's longstanding doctrine of strategic ambiguity, but is a departure from his predecessor, Joe Biden, who repeatedly suggested the US would defend Taiwan under his leadership. Trump's stance, taken with previous comments questioning the worth of supporting Taiwan and accusing it of 'stealing' US semiconductor business, has raised alarm in Taipei.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

China's terrifying new giant ‘sea monster' warplane pictured for first time – & it's a throwback to Cold War Soviet tech
China's terrifying new giant ‘sea monster' warplane pictured for first time – & it's a throwback to Cold War Soviet tech

Scottish Sun

time10 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

China's terrifying new giant ‘sea monster' warplane pictured for first time – & it's a throwback to Cold War Soviet tech

The US and China seem to be in a race to bring back the Soviet era military craft BEAST FROM THE EAST China's terrifying new giant 'sea monster' warplane pictured for first time – & it's a throwback to Cold War Soviet tech CHILLING pictures have emerged showing China's terrifying new giant "sea monster" warplane for the first time. And the wing-in-ground effect (WIG) aircraft, commonly known as an ekranoplan, is a throwback to Soviet military tech from the Cold War era. 7 Picture shows a Chinese ekranoplan being tested in the Bohai Sea Credit: Hurin92/x 7 One of the pictures posted on Chinese social media purports to show the rear of a large wing-in-ground-effect craft on a pier in China's Bohai Sea Credit: Hurin92/x 7 The Soviet Lun-class ekranoplan lay dormant on the coast of the Caspian Sea for more than 30 years Credit: Getty For the first time, the mysterious Chinese military plane was spotted in the Bohai Sea - reportedly undergoing testing. Dubbed the 'Bohai Sea Monster' by aviation analysts, the plane was seen floating on blue waters. Another picture showed the craft partly covered at a naval pier. The vehicle has a boat-shaped fuselage with a horizontal stabiliser on top of the joined V-shape tail – a common configuration for WIG craft. It could be used to facilitate rapid coastal transport, resupply missions, or amphibious operations, according to aviation and maritime experts. China has been flexing its military muscles to intimidate Taiwan, which has hit back with increased drills of its own. It comes just months after satellite pictures showed China's terrifying new invasion barges lining up to form a floating bridge - amid a spate of war drills involving the army, navy and rocket force. The satellite images show three specialised barges, each with two arms of roadway, lining up next to each other. They connect to form a continuous bridge along which invading ground vehicles such as tanks could trundle ashore. Huge retractable legs anchor the barges to the seabed like stilts. China floods sea bases with nuke bombers, terrifying satellite pics show - as US warns Xi could SEIZE Taiwanese islands What is en ekranoplan? An ekranoplan, first developed by the Russians, is a military vehicle that resembles a hybrid between an aircraft and a ship. These vehicles are also known as ground-effect vehicles (GEV), wing-in-ground-effect (WIG) craft, or wingships. They are designed to fly at very low altitudes over a level surface, usually water, by taking advantage of an aerodynamic principle called the ground effect. An ekranoplan utilises the aerodynamic interaction between the moving wing and the surface below - which could be ground or water. When a wing moves close to the ground, air pressure on the underside of the wing increases, creating a cushion of air. This air cushion increases lift and reduces drag, allowing the vehicle to glide just a few meters above the surface. This is a dynamic air cushion that is created by the forward speed of the craft. A SOVIET RELIC Caspian Sea Monster, a 302ft Soviet Sea Monster, was a prime example of an ekranoplan. The aquatic beast is perhaps one of the weirdest-looking machines ever built, with four engines stacked in a row on each of its wings. It was bigger than a Boeing 747 and armed to the teeth with missiles, was beyond unique with eight huge jet engines. The hybrid ship-aircraft, officially named Korabl Maket, was built by the Soviet Union during the Cold War and weighed 240 tonnes when empty, with a 72ft height, a 123ft wingspan, and a top speed of 310mph. It was an experimental vehicle developed in the 1960s and intended to attack Nato nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers. It carried six anti-ship missiles in launch tubes at the top of its hull, which could travel up to 60 miles at three times the speed of light. The machine first entered service in 1966 and was continuously tested by the Soviet Navy, until it crashed in the Caspian Sea in 1980. It was decommissioned when the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990s and lay dormant for more than three decades at Kaspiysk naval base, about 62 miles up the coast from Derbent. A second Sea Monster was designed for rescue and supply missions and was nearly completed by the early 1990s - but the project was scrapped when the Soviet Union collapsed, at the same time the existing ekranoplan was withdrawn from service. 7 The Soviet ekranoplan is now beached as a 'museum' in Derbent 7 The sea monster carried six anti-ship missiles in launch tubes at the top of its hullThe sea monster 7 AMERICA'S ANSWER The Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Pentagon's right arm, is building a ground-effect vehicle (GEV) expected to take to the skies from 2027. Called the Liberty Lifter, the aircraft will be responsible for the transportation of war logistics on a mass scale. The futuristic plane will be able to transport heavy and bulky equipment way quicker than existing cargo aircraft and ships while covering greater distances. As an ekranoplan, it will fly low over the ocean surface while fighting a wide range of weather conditions. It will also be able to fly at high altitudes up to 10,000 feet for short but frequent periods. Similar to a hovercraft, it will be able to glide over water on a cushion of air, allowing it to be quicker and more efficient. And its mass size will allow it to stay stable while carrying tonnes of goods. The DARPA said in a statement: "The Liberty Lifter program is currently designing and will build, float, and fly an affordable and innovative seaplane that can potentially transform fast logistics missions for the DOD and commerce." In addition to operating over water, the Liberty Lifter will also be able to cruise over any relatively flat surface, including rivers, deserts - and even snow fields. The United States considered building ekranoplans during the Cold War just like the Russians. American spies were once convinced that ekranoplans could be used for laying mines, as well as for anti-submarine warfare and search and rescue operations.

Shoppers queue down the street for Labubu dolls in Cardiff - and they sell out in 20 minutes
Shoppers queue down the street for Labubu dolls in Cardiff - and they sell out in 20 minutes

Wales Online

time13 hours ago

  • Wales Online

Shoppers queue down the street for Labubu dolls in Cardiff - and they sell out in 20 minutes

Shoppers queue down the street for Labubu dolls in Cardiff - and they sell out in 20 minutes Shoppers began queuing at 7am to get their hands on a toy People queued for hours (Image: WalesOnline ) If you haven't heard of the Labubu then you must be living under a rock as the plush monster elves have become a global phenomenon with children and adults of all ages jumping on the trend. The global hunt for the toys has become harder with stock flying off the shelves at shops and online across the world. In May 2025, ten years after the toy was originally produced, Pop Mart temporarily pulled them from UK stores after reports of fighting among customers. ‌ With deliveries few and far between, when a shop announces that they will be selling the monsters it causes a frenzy. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here ‌ When Forbidden Planet, the pop culture store in Cardiff announced on their social media that they would be getting Labubus in stock it was no surprise to the workers that people queued for hours to get one. People began to line up outside the store opposite Cardiff Castle at 7am, excitedly waiting for the store to open three hours later at 10am. To ensure that everybody gets a fair chance at securing the precious toy Forbidden Planet have strict rules. Article continues below Strictly one per person No reservations No mail order NO DM No phone orders A limited number of stock arrived at the store on Wednesday, July 9 that sold out in only 20 minutes. Content cannot be displayed without consent ‌ What exactly is a Labubu? Both a brand and a fictional character, a labubu is a furry monster elf with pointy ears, big eyes and exactly nine teeth. The characters have appeared in TV series The Monsters, created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Kyng and are sold by Chinese retailer Pop Mart. Cardiff's Forbidden Plant has sold hundreds of Labubus this year, with the blind boxes being the most popular at £26 each. ‌ Worker Fredryck, who has been working at Forbidden Planet for six years, says people are "desperate" to get their hands on them as every five minutes somebody stops by to ask if they have any in stock. According to him the online phenomenon has been influenced by celebrities and content creators who often wear the toys on their bags or post videos of themselves opening the surprise toy. He said: "They are similar to Pokémon with social media influencers posting them has made them more popular. ‌ "With the Labubus when Rihanna wore one on her bag it just exploded from there." To many people the small monsters are unappealing but it seems they have charmed millions of people around the world. Fredryck believes that the opening of the blind box and being surprised by what toy you get is part of the appeal as well as the many different variants and rare ones making people want to buy more. Article continues below

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store