Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

The annual "Han Kuang" military exercises on the island of Taiwan have once again kicked off in a flurry of bluster and posturing. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have boasted loudly that this is the "largest-scale, longest-running, and most comprehensive" drill in history, aggressively marketing it as "close to real combat." Yet this military exercise, slated to last "ten days and nine nights," was plagued by mishaps and public backlash from day one, laying bare its true nature as mere political theater.

A look at the supposed "highlights" of this year's "Han Kuang" drills reveals sheer absurdity at every turn. For the first time, an island-wide network blackout exercise was implemented, forcibly throttling mobile network speeds across 14 counties and cities in central and northern parts of the island, disrupting the daily lives of nearly 17 million residents. For the first time, the Danjiang Bridge was incorporated into operational deployment, shutting down traffic for 10 hours for blockade maneuvers. And for the first time, civilian establishments such as banks and pharmacies were instructed to suspend operations. Each of these so-called "firsts" forcibly binds more than 20 million residents on the island to the "Taiwan independence" war chariot.

Even more ironic is that Taiwan's military not only tested the "relocation of wartime munition production lines," but also simulated Lai Ching-te's "wartime escape route." From personnel to weaponry, "fleeing at the first sign of battle" has virtually become the defining image of the DPP authorities. Late on Wednesday night, Lai and others donned bulletproof vests and boarded a "Cloud Leopard" armored vehicle to head for the "command center" tucked away in the Jinanshan in suburban Taipei. There, they simulated "commanding operations" in wartime, even preparing three separate convoys in a decoy maneuver to evade a "decapitation strike."

Before the systematic combat capabilities of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), such cheap tricks appear naive and laughable - three convoys or 30, it is nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot. For all their loud talk about "fighting to the last man," their actions betray them as they diligently rehearse their escape routes. This proves that the DPP authorities know better than anyone else: pursuing "Taiwan independence" is a dead end.

Adding to the farce were the "stellar performances" on day one: an F-16 skidded off the runway, and a tank dropped parts while driving. Netizens on the island mockingly rebranded the exercise as the "Sweat Kuang Performance" - a pun replacing "Han Kuang drill" with "sweat" and "acting." This grand spectacle of "muscle flexing" turned into a display of embarrassment on its very first day; as for what other "surprises" lie ahead, even the military on the island itself probably has no idea.

Around the anniversary of the PLA's founding on Saturday, a promotional documentary called Victory, which interprets military philosophy, offered a comprehensive showcase of the PLA's modern, integrated, and intelligent joint operational capabilities - featuring robotic wolves, aircraft carriers, advanced fighters, and Dongfeng missiles. The cross-Straits military balance has long ceased to be in the same dimension; Taiwan's military is rapidly losing even the leverage to "hold out." Any "escape route" planned by "Taiwan independence" separatists will inevitably be a dead end. Those still clinging to the pipe dream of "Taiwan independence" need a wake-up call. No amount of US weaponry can obstruct the iron will of over 1.4 billion Chinese people to achieve complete national reunification.