Fate of Taiwan

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

In the Taiwan Strait off the coast of northern Taiwan, the Chinese invasion fleet has massed off the northern landing beaches. At last, they have reached their positions to start the invasion of Taiwan. At the moment, surviving Chinese warships are engaged in a shore bombardment with their main guns, while a few J-10 fighter bombers are trying to hit the shore defenses while avoiding Taiwanese air defenses.

On the beaches, Taiwanese soldiers of the 269 Mechanized Infantry Brigade and a number of new infantry brigades formed in recent months are all waiting in their defensive positions. They are mostly dug in in trenches and bunkers, with only a few armored vehicles, including a few M60 tanks. From their positions they can see Chinese troop transports offloading troops into landing craft as the leading landing craft are making their ways towards the beaches. They know once the landing craft make it past the initial defenses, it will be hell. But even if they cannot hold the beaches, they are going to make their enemy bleed.

It's been about 11 hours since the Chinese attacks began. News of the new war has begun to break across the world, and the UN has called for an emergency session, while multiple national governments are in meetings. NATO has already begun a meeting to address the invasion and attacks on the US. However, none of these meetings will yield any results before Chinese troops begin to land on Taiwan's shores.

Out at sea, the first wave of Chinese landing craft is approaching the shores of Taiwan. Most of these are not carrying tanks and armored vehicles, and most of the troops are recent conscripts with less training. China knows that the first wave is likely to be almost annihilated, and are holding back their better troops for the later waves. They had already lost several tens of thousands of troops at sea to missile attacks and naval mines.

Finally, the first waves of Chinese landing craft get within 500 meters of the landing beaches. Taiwanese radar operators send out a code word over a frequency, which is heard by controllers in a hardened bunker well back from the beach. In a control room, controllers flip several switches.

In the water off the beaches, valves open on a number of pipes strung along the seabed. And from out of these valves, oil begins flowing out of the pipes and up to the surface. In a matter of moments, a vast oil slick is forming on the surface. Chinese troops begin to realize something is wrong as they begin to smell the oil.

Then, from shore, a pieces of Taiwanese artillery launch large flares towards the water. Most of the Chinese troops are very confused as they watch the flares soar up and then begin to coast down, wondering what the purpose of this is. It's not until just before they hit the water that what is happening begins to dawn on the Chinese.

The flares hit the oil slick, and in a second, the oil catches fire. In the blink of an eye, walls of flames erupt on the surface of the ocean from the burning oil. The burning flames envelop the landing craft approaching the shore, and Chinese troops scream as they are burned alive. A handful of landing craft that have not entered the flames manage to turn back in time to avoid the flames.

In an instant, the defenders have stopped the Chinese advance towards the beaches. However, Chinese landing craft drivers begin to realize that there are some paths through the flames, and some that do not realize the danger it poses head for those gaps to continue towards the beaches.

However, these gaps in the flames are killing zones. Defensive artillery and rocket launchers open fire as landing craft begin moving through the gaps in the flames. These well trained crews have trained for this extensively, and their fire is quickly hitting the landing craft as they try to make their way through the gaps. After a number of landing craft are lost, remaining landing craft pull back out of range of defending artillery.

Time passes as the Chinese wait for the flames to die down. All the while, remaining anti-ship missiles are continuing to fire at the Chinese fleet, managing to damage a few warships. Finally, the flames begin to die down, clearing the path forward for the Chinese to resume the landing. They've already lost thousands of troops, and haven't even gotten near the beaches.

A new wave of landing craft approach the beaches, and as soon as they get close enough, artillery crews open fire on them. A few landing craft are destroyed, but many more make it through and finally reach the beach.

With a sound like thunder, the Taiwanese defenders open fire with everything they have on the hordes of Chinese troops hitting the beach. This first wave is mostly infantry, with a few tanks mixed in. However, the defenders, equipped with a vast array of weapons and in highly defensible positions, are easily able to handle the first wave. Chinese troops fall by the dozens as they try to press up the beach. Then, they begin to hit the land mines planted by the defenders. Dozens more troops are killed, and a tank and another armored vehicle are destroyed, with another tank damaged. The remaining tanks that had landed with the first wave are soon destroyed by anti-tank missiles.

The defenders continue to pour fire down onto the Chinese troops as they hit the beach. Already several thousand Chinese troops lie dead on the landing beaches across Taiwan's coast. But with only about a quarter of Taiwan's troops positioned on the landing beaches themselves, and heavy air and naval bombardment continuing, the defenders know that they can only last for so long. But that was always the plan. They will make the Chinese invaders bleed on these beaches for as long as they can. And once they are off the beaches, the Chinese will face the bulk of Taiwan's defenders.

(Washington DC)

On the steps of the US Capitol Building, President Trump is standing at a podium that has been hastily assembled. In the last few hours, Trump has been both attending a session of Congress and speaking with other leaders of NATO on conference call. Finally, decisions have been reached, and he is ready to announce it to the world.

"My fellow Americans, I speak to you, and to the entire world, from here at the Capitol Building. As I am sure that many across the world are aware, in the last 16 hours, the People's Republic of China launched air and missile attacks against military targets of not only Taiwan, but also the United States, the Philippines, Australia, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. This included a missile attack on Hawaii, hitting not only military targets, but also a shopping center in Honolulu, causing many civilian casualties. While reports are still incoming, reports show that thousands of American lives have been lost, and even more casualties among our allies."

"As I speak, Chinese troops are currently landing on the beaches of Taiwan in the largest invasion we have seen in history. Even now, Chinese forces are engaging Taiwanese defenders, who are struggling to defend themselves from an onslaught against their lives and freedom."

"In the past, the United States has made it clear that our support lies behind Taiwan. But now, in a pre-emptive strike, China has spilled American blood, not just on foreign soil, but on our own soil. And such an action will not go unpunished. Only minutes ago, the Congress of the United States voted in favor of a declaration of war against the People's Republic of China. I also announce that, after meetings with the heads of the NATO alliance, I can now declare that via Article 5 of the NATO Charter, the NATO alliance as a whole is prepared to begin combat operations against the People's Republic of China."

Spectators wildly cheer in support as the president continues his address. Across Europe and Asia, other national leaders are giving similar addresses. At the UN, nations from across the world have approved vast sanctions against China, and efforts are underway to expel China from the UN Security Council. Within the next hour, the entire world will know that almost 40 nations are now at war with the People's Republic of China. To many around the world, it seems clear that this conflict has crossed a line, and World War III has begun.