A mainland Chinese military magazine has warned of the threat posed by Taiwan's asymmetric warfare plan and called for a multipronged response. The article discusses how the People's Liberation Army could use a decapitation strike to counter Taiwan's 'porcupine' strategy, which aims to turn the island into an impregnable fortress using small, low-cost weapons.
A mainland Chinese military magazine has published an article warning of the threat posed by Taiwan's 'porcupine' strategy, an asymmetric warfare plan. Influenced by US military advisers and backed by American arms sales, the strategy relies on deploying a vast number of small and low-cost combat platforms, such as FIM-92 Stinger portable air defence missiles and Switchblade 300 anti-tank loitering munitions, to fend off the much larger and better-armed People's Liberation Army (PLA).
These weapons would launch 'successive waves of attacks' on high-value targets like tanks, warships, and radar systems in a war of attrition. The aim is to turn the island into a fortress of layered defence, making use of the urban landscape and geography to drag the PLA into a protracted and costly conflict.
The article states that Taiwan's military is integrating new weapons—specifically HIMARS rocket systems and M1A2T tanks—with Taiwanese-made equipment like Land Sword II air defence missiles. It calls for the PLA to use a decapitation strike and other multipronged responses, though details are not provided. Keywords include PLA, Javelin, Land Sword II air defence missiles, and others; published on January 10, 2026.
