- Drone-delivered gold bars and dollar bundles were dropped straight into a military field
- Soldiers counted NT$1,000 notes alongside US$100 bills and solid gold bars
- New Taiwan dollars in the mix hint at planning for civilian payments
The Chinese People's Liberation Army used a multi-rotor drone to deliver cases of gold bars and cash bundles across a field during a drill.
Chinese state media reported the exercise, describing it as a wartime financial support drill simulating a Taiwan operation.
Images from the drill showed soldiers in tactical camouflage gear counting bundles of NT$1,000 and US$100 notes alongside gold bars.
A drone delivery with a message
The PLA Eastern Theatre Command, based in Nanjing in Jiangsu province, oversees security and operations related to Taiwan and the East China Sea.
The Eastern Theatre Command has carried out a series of drills in recent years covering scenarios linked to Taiwan and the wider East China Sea.
In this recent operation, one case bore a PLA emblem marked Settlement Office No 4, the Nanjing Centralised Funds Receipt and Payment Management Centre.
Additional images from the drill showed troops loading the cases onto the drone before it lifted off toward soldiers stationed nearby in the field.
The report did not specify where or when the drill took place, and it remained unclear whether the cash and gold shown were genuine.
During wartime, forces sometimes need cash on hand to pay for supplies, services, intelligence or compensation when banking systems become inaccessible.
The inclusion of New Taiwan dollars alongside US dollars and gold suggested planning for potential transactions with local Taiwanese residents.
Analysts noted that US dollars and gold bars remain broadly accepted forms of payment across most of the world today.
Drill raises questions over wartime financial planning
After the initial report of the exercise, Defence Times subsequently deleted the report following considerable discussion on Chinese social media.
Beijing has not confirmed the authenticity of the report, and commentators questioned whether the cash and gold shown were genuine props used during the exercise or real currency.
The unusual drill points toward Chinese military planning that stretches beyond weapons and logistics into everyday financial questions for troops.
It suggests planners are considering how soldiers might need to pay residents directly if deployed near or on Taiwan itself.
Beijing regards self-governed Taiwan as part of Chinese territory and has not ruled out reunification by force if deemed necessary.
Most governments, including the United States, do not formally recognise Taiwan as independent, yet many oppose any forced change to the current arrangement.
Washington remains committed to supplying Taiwan with weapons intended for its own defence, a stance it has held under existing policy.
With this political backdrop, such an exercise is likely to draw scrutiny from analysts tracking cross-strait tensions.
Its timing and content may be read as a signal of how Beijing views preparedness for a Taiwan contingency.
Whether the drill reflects firm planning or a broader messaging effort remains open to interpretation.
Via SCMP
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