At first glance, Linkou Beach looks like any other. Yet it might be one of
Taiwan’s – even the world’s – most dangerous places.
This is one of up to 20 “red beaches” – sections of Taiwan’s coast that are considered likely places for
China to land its troops during an invasion.
Linkou makes up part of the coastline of New Taipei City, a municipality that surrounds the capital. Of all the red beaches, this one holds the most strategic value.
It’s near Taiwan’s largest airport, which services the capital; it’s next to the Port of Taipei, a strategic deep-water port, and it borders the mouth of the Tamsui river, which flows through the centre of Taipei and into the Taiwan Strait.
Chinese troops storm a beach during a combat drill. Observers fear the country’s military is being prepared for an invasion of Taiwan Credit: Getty
Dr Tzu-yun Su is a research fellow and director at Taiwan’s Institute for National Defence and Research (
INDSR), a military think tank.
He said: “Seizing this area would cut Taiwan’s primary external connections to Taipei, isolating the capital, disrupting its food supply, and undermining morale – essentially a blitzkrieg-style campaign.”
The threat posed by China was demonstrated on Tuesday, when it
launched its most extensive military drills around Taiwan to date. It fired rockets towards the island and simulated a blockade of its major ports – including the Port of Taipei.
China called it a “stern warning” against “Taiwan independence separatist forces and external interference”.
Experts estimate that if China successfully lands at Linkou – and that is a big “if” – it could access Taiwan’s main control centres in less than an hour.
An invasion would require hundreds of thousands of well-trained troops, and a vast navy with cutting-edge warships, ordinary civilian barges and everything in between. It would take months or years of planning. Yet,
Beijing already seems to be building up such a force.
