Chinese military experts have dismissed American warnings that China could face a drone hell attack from the U.S. if they were to attack Taiwan. They argue that China can respond at a level equivalent to the United States.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 13th,

Chinese military aviation expert Fu Qianshao stated that Chinese military and civilian drones have developed rapidly in recent years. He also noted that in the field of swarm drones, China and the U.S. are currently at equivalent levels. This was a response to the U.S. “unmanned hellscape” plan utilizing drones was revealed.

Adm. Samuel Paparo, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Commander, previously told the Washington Post (WP) in an interview that if China invades Taiwan, it will experience a “drone hell” with thousands of drones in the Taiwan Strait. In response, Fu Qianshao explained that the war in Ukraine had influenced the U.S.’s new operational plan, further shaped by the decline in American shipbuilding. He warned that the U.S. must not overlook China’s status as having the world’s largest drone production capacity. Furthermore, he emphasized that China plans to deploy numerous aerial robots against its opponents, urging the U.S. to consider strategies for responding to a larger drone fleet from the People’s Liberation Army.

The U.S. can deploy thousands of drones to the Taiwan Strait, but the key is its airbases will be attacked, and we have a series of countermeasures, including electromagnetic interference or emerging interception methods,” he added.

Song Zhongping, another Chinese military expert, said, “The Chinese military can deploy a large-scale unmanned system using advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology to respond to U.S. drones.”

In response to the U.S. “drone hell,” Chinese military experts are emphasizing the growing military importance of AI and the urgent need to enhance drone capabilities. While China can respond to the U.S. with large-scale drones, they must stay vigilant as the risk of changes in U.S. strategy increases. Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at the Renmin University of China, said, “The U.S. is showing more signs of strategic clarity in Taiwan’s defense,” He added that this is indicative of one among many strategic and tactical perceptions held by the U.S. He further remarked that this trend underscores the growing sophistication and seriousness of war preparations on both sides.