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A TV show centring around a Chinese invasion is hitting a little too close to home in Taiwan.
On the surface, ‘Zero Day Attack’ could be just another Hollywood thriller – air-raid sirens blasting, explosions ripping through buildings and swarms of military jets deployed – but this is a scenario people are actually preparing for.
Taiwan, a self-governed democracy of 23.3 million people, has lived under the shadow of China’s threat for many years.
The Communist Party claims the country as part of its own territory and its imperialistic rhetoric has only grown more aggressive in the last decade.
The government has previously declared it is ‘ready to fight at all times’ as it concluded a military drill in the Taiwanese waters in 2023.
This is why the 17-minute trailer has raised further alarm in Taiwan. Even the name, ‘Zero Day Attack’, refers to exploiting an unknown vulnerability, meaning that the target has no time to prepare or defend against it.
Set to premier on Saturday, the show starts with a Chinese war plane going missing near Taiwan.
China then sends swarms of military boats and jets for a blockade as the island goes on a war footing. Panic ensues on the streets of the capital, Taipei.
After watching the first episode in the Taipei premier last week, Blair Yeh, a 35-year-old engineer, said: ‘Presenting such a situation (of conflict) can lead to more discussion about what we should do if it really turns into reality one day.’
A war with China has long been a too sensitive of a topic for the nation.
For example, this has resulted in more than half of the show’s crew asking to remain anonymous on the crew list, and some people including a director pulling out of the production at the last minute, showrunner Cheng Hsin Mei said.
‘Zero Day Attack’ is being released as China has stepped up its military preparedness – including at least six rounds of major war games in the past five years and daily military activities close to the island.
This threat is felt in Europe as well.
Only yesterday UK defence secretary John Healey confirmed that Britain is ready to fight in the Pacific if a conflict breaks out over Taiwan.
Speaking on board the HMS Prince of Wales, alongside Richard Marles, the Australian deputy prime minister, he told The Telegraph: ‘If we have to fight, as we have done in the past, Australia and the UK are nations that will fight together.
‘We exercise together and by exercising together and being more ready to fight, we deter better together.’
But Healey later admitted that he was speaking in ‘general terms’, and said the UK would prefer to see any disputes in the Indo-Pacific resolved ‘peacefully’ and ‘diplomatically’.
China vs Taiwan: Which has a stronger military force?
It does not take long to determine whether China or Taiwan overpowers the other with its military.
China possesses one of the world’s largest forces, ranking third behind the US and Russia in 2025.
Boasting a rapidly modernising force and the second-largest defence budget, it is a clear threat to most countries – and Taiwan in particular, which ranks 22nd overall.
Taiwan’s only advantage is its geography. As an island, the nation could prove a significant military challenge to invade.
Water provides a natural barrier, making it harder for an enemy to land troops and supplies.
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