The Guardian has a good write-up on the creepiest part of China’s massive drills this week around Taiwan, explaining the context of a China Coast Guard social-media post that attempted to portray the intimidation campaign as an act of love:
The illustration, widely shared online, depicted a satellite image of Taiwan’s main island, and a line of arrows tracking around it in the shape of a heart. Accompanying script – in the traditional Chinese characters used by Taiwan – read: “Hi my sweetheart” and “The patrol is in the shape of loving you.” . . .
In local news the image prompted headlines. On social media it drew mostly ridicule and anger. People found the image “creepy”, and comment sections filled with vomit-emojis. Some likened the sentiment expressed to an abusive partner, while one newspaper called it “sexual harassment”.
Many were also perplexed by what appeared to be a reference to a 15-year-old Taiwanese TV drama, Hi My Sweetheart, long off the air. Some people surmised the reference was supposed to remind people of the show’s star, the local actor Rainie Yang, who has faced criticism in Taiwan for saying she is Chinese and for posting pro-China content online.
It’s the latest example of how Beijing uses its tools of military intimidation and empowers local pro–Chinese Communist Party elements in Taiwan.