Television Series as a Tool in Information Warfare: Depicting China’s Invasion of Taiwan

A helicopter dramatically takes off from the deck of a warship, accompanied by intense music. The president watches with concern as fighter jets race low over his palace. The evening news begins with a bombshell: “The People’s Liberation Army of China has landed in Taiwan!”

This is how the recently released trailer, which has garnered worldwide attention, begins. It promotes a 10-part TV series “Zero Day” about China’s military invasion of Taiwan. The trailer drew significant attention because China, with a population of 1.4 billion, has shown increasing aggression towards its neighbor Taiwan, home to 23 million people, and the likelihood of war has sharply risen in recent years.

In the warning series, events unfold as China employs hybrid warfare tactics, spreading disinformation on social media, claiming that Taiwan’s president has fled the country and the military is retreating before the Chinese. Chinese hackers break into Taiwanese TV channels and broadcast deepfakes of statements from Taiwan’s president, created using AI. The confusion is then exploited by the People’s Liberation Army of China.

The Taiwanese authorities made a bold decision to support the aforementioned film project, even though it may instill fear in the country and deter foreign investors and tourists, instead of raising awareness of the threat. Nevertheless, Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture is co-financing the series, which has a budget of 6.5 million euros, and the filming takes place in the official premises of the president.

The example from Taiwan raised the question on Propastop: should Estonia also consider producing its own warning series about a possible attack from Russia?

“This Taiwanese film is a so-called warning film. Hundreds of such films have been made over time on various topics. For instance, dozens and dozens have been made to warn about nuclear war or nuclear threats. Some of them are very good and popular,” replied media and communications expert Raul Rebane to Propastop’s question. “There are many topics that need to be brought to people’s attention. One growing topic is natural disasters, especially climate change. When rational arguments don’t work, artistic solutions are chosen to convey the message. Norwegians warn about earthquakes, Poles about floods, and Americans about tornadoes.”

Political scientist and filmmaker Tõnis Leht emphasizes that films can be made on any topic. “Undoubtedly, the potential aggression of Russia against Estonia is a very powerful and emotionally charged subject. It provides a strong foundation for creating an impactful series. But… the story must be well-written, and the series must be carefully directed and produced because a poorly executed project would be particularly dismal,” says Leht. “The Taiwanese series is an interesting example, and I believe a film or series on a similar theme could definitely be made in Estonia. The response and discussion would be extensive.”

Is there not a risk that such a film might be counterproductive? In other words, instead of preparing people for the threat, the emotionally powerful scenes of an attack might instill fear in the population.

“I believe that our society is sufficiently aware and familiar with security risks, so it’s unlikely that the series would cause any additional negative shock,” says Tõnis Leht.

Raul Rebane’s view on a potential warning series is more cautious. “I can’t give a definitive judgment on the effectiveness of the Taiwanese war prediction film. People who have worked in the East know that the perception of artistic phenomena is quite different in that region. They think the same about us. So, what might seem like an exaggeration to us could be perfectly normal there.”

Tauno Kelder, who lives in Taiwan, said last week on Kuku Radio’s program “Neeme Raud. Siin.” that the trailer for the warning series had the effect of an alarm bell on Taiwanese society.

“These things (China’s attack) have been thought about, but not much openly discussed,” said Tauno Kelder, who has been working as a teacher in Taiwan for years. “This is the first thing to reach the big screen, and it’s good because people have not yet realized what a Chinese attack would actually look like.”

Kelder pointed out that China has long been conducting an intense information war against Taiwan, as international studies have shown that Taiwan is the world’s biggest target for disinformation attacks. The trailer for the series sparked a serious debate in Taiwan about whether it helps inform society or creates unnecessary additional tensions.

“Such voices immediately started to emerge, saying that it’s propaganda and a 10-part campaign ad for the current ruling party, aimed at scaring people and portraying China in a bad light,” said Kelder. “I believe that if the goal is to make people think about what a real scenario could be, then even if it is propaganda, it’s justified.”

Raul Rebane views the Taiwanese film more as a kind of call for help and a desire for the international public to understand through artistic means what is really happening there: “If that’s the case, and if the film is well-made, it will have fulfilled its purpose in any case.”

The Estonian government advises but does not fund.

According to Erki Varma, the Strategic Communications Adviser at the Government Office, the Estonian government’s strategic communications have not yet taken the opportunity to buy into TV series, and no budgetary resources have been allocated for such initiatives.

“However, the Defence Forces and the Defence League have provided advice and support in the production of various TV series – such as ‘How We Became Soldiers’ and ‘Free Men’,” Varma cites as examples. “If a government institution has supported the production of a series or show in some way, this is usually mentioned in the show or series or indicated in the end credits.”

Tõnis Leht believes it is appropriate for the state to support the production of a film or series when interests align, but it should not commission it based on predefined conditions.

A warning series is currently being filmed in Estonia, directed by Ove Musting, who has received much acclaim for live television broadcasts, the feature film Kalev, and the series Traitor.

This series depicts a complete blackout in Estonia and the ensuing crisis. However, the series does not specify the cause of the massive power outage. “We have met with Musting and his creative team and expressed our willingness to provide advisory support during the series’ production. Financially, the Government Office is not supporting this series,” says Strategic Communications Adviser Erki Varma.

The Taiwanese series will premiere in May next year, while Ove Musting’s series will air on Telia TV in 2026.