Photo: Screenshot form media reports

"Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) would get lost in Taiwan because they have no access to Google Maps;" "if the accuracy rate of one missile is 70 percent, then the accuracy rate of three missiles is 210 percent;" "The Dnieper River is 120,000 kilometers long"...retired Taiwan regional "military officer" Yu Pei-chen's preposterous and foolish claims once again triggered ridicule from netizens both on the island and the Chinese mainland, with his latest claim that "the PLA could not attack Taiwan because its soldiers would get seasick" being mocked by netizens as a "Master of Comedy" and "being stuck in a mindset from a century ago." 

A mainland expert said on Monday that Yu's repeated claims reflect a narrow and outdated understanding of modern warfare, likening his views to those of "a frog at the bottom of a well."

Yu claimed in a TV show which aired in Taiwan region on January 20 that the most brutal and arduous campaign in the history of warfare was the Normandy landings and if the Normandy landings were called an "impossible mission," then the PLA's "landing on Taiwan" would be nothing short of a "hell-level mission," a Taiwan-based media outlet reported on Monday.

He also claimed that, unlike the waters adjacent to Hainan Island, which boast high current velocity and large water volume, the Taiwan Straits is relatively narrow and flows like a jet stream, and entering the Taiwan Straits is like the pressure from a high-pressure car wash. In a rhetorical tone, he asked, how can the PLA "possibly make it across?"

Yu claimed that the window for Taiwan region to enable Chinese mainland to "land" is very short, even shorter and more difficult than the time required for the Normandy landings, and that the PLA would become disoriented upon reaching Taiwan island, a Hong Kong-based media outlet reported.

Yu's claims were strongly criticized by Li Cheng-chieh, a retired major general on the island. Li called Yu's claim "downright laughable" and said that PLA has the resolve and capability to defend every inch of its territory, according to Yuetaihai, a new media account dedicated to cross-Straits affairs, which is affiliated to Yangcheng Evening News.

Zhang Wensheng, deputy dean and professor at the Taiwan Research Institute of Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Monday that Yu's claims once again prove that he has exhausted all his tricks and is merely seeking psychological comfort through spreading lies. By spouting nonsense, he attempts to create an illusion, indulging in nothing but empty rhetoric, Zhang added.

This is not the first time that Yu's remarks have drawn ridicule. During the 2024 Zhuhai Airshow, Yu bragged that if he were at the Airshow, he would try to unscrew the bolts of Chinese mainland weapons or pour water into their fuel tanks, HKCNA reported.

Such claims were questioned by Lu Li-shih, a former navy lieutenant commander in Taiwan, who asked, "Are you sure a screwdriver could open their equipment?"

Yu also claimed that PLA would get lost if they "attacked" Taiwan region because they would be unable to use Google Maps for navigation, Taiwan local media reported. Some netizens mocked him for not knowing that there is something called the Beidou Navigation System, the report said.

Earlier in 2022, Yu was also mocked by netizens for incorrectly calculating missile interception rates, showing his ignorance. During a TV show aired in Taiwan region, Yu claimed that the interception rate of Taiwan's Tien Kung missiles is approximately 70 percent per launch, and if three missiles are launched at once, "the interception rate could reach 210 percent," a Taiwan-based media outlet reported.

This flawed calculation sparked discussions among netizens, with some Taiwan-based netizens sarcastically remarking that "his enemy is not the PLA, but mathematics."

Yu's absurd remarks have also been refuted by a US-based research organization. Yu claimed that satellite images exposed by the US showed a supposed "large crack" on the deck of the Chinese mainland's China's aircraft carrier Fujian. However, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) pointed out that the alleged crack was merely a water stain. 

CSIS also noted that spreading misinformation could lead to underestimating the growth of China's military strength, the report said.

Another Taiwan-based media outlet also reported that Yu also once claimed that the Dnieper River is 120,000 kilometers long. Reacting to this assertion, Lu expressed surprise, noting that the Earth's equator is only 40,000 kilometers long. 

The retired major general Li also sarcastically remarked that Yu possesses "universal knowledge spanning astronomy and geography," adding that if there were ever a day without Yu, people might feel regretful for having no jokes to listen to, according to the Taiwan-based media outlet.

Taiwan regional internet influencer Chen Chih-han, better known as "Guan Zhang," also mocked Yu for making baseless claims on the show just to earn appearance fees. "The people of Taiwan are truly pitiful, constantly deceived by such individuals," he said, according to HKCNA 

Yu's remarks were lambasted by some local media professional and netizens on the island. A Taiwan-based media outlet quoted a media figure who derided him with a rhetorical question: "Taiwan fishing boats operate freely and coast guard vessels patrol the Straits all the time—how could PLA possibly fail to cross it?"

Some netizens on the island left comments under related news stories to expose Yu's "absurd nonsense". The HKCNA's report cited one comment which read: "Is that so? Didn't we see PLA's military drills taking place just a short distance away from us? No signs of seasickness at all."

Other netizens bluntly called it "the comedy of a major general turned entertainer," while others commented, "making the Chinese mainland laugh to death," and "truly embarrassing," the report said.

Yu's frivolous claims have also sparked sarcasm from netizens on the Chinese mainland. Many have adopted a "laugh-at-it" stance toward him. One netizen described claims as "Yu's new comedy routine", while another commented under the relevant video that Yu "must still be living in an era a century or so ago".

Yu is now well aware that he has been driven into a dead end and has simply embraced reckless self-debasement, said Zhang, noting that a harsh dose of reality and truth will shatter his pretense to smithereens, leaving him battered and bruised.