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HomeGlobal MarketsTrade & TariffsPLA drone drops cash and gold in Taiwan-simulation dri…

PLA drone drops cash and gold in Taiwan-simulation drill

The state media account said bundles of NT$1,000 and US$100 notes were counted, alongside gold bars, during the exercise run by the PLA Eastern Theatre Command.

The People’s Liberation Army conducted a “wartime financial support” drill in which a multi-rotor drone dropped camouflage cases containing cash and gold bars, according to coverage by China’s state media and a report cited by Defence Times.

Photos linked to the account showed soldiers counting bundles of NT$1,000 and US$100 notes, as well as gold bars, during an exercise conducted by the PLA Eastern Theatre Command. The report also referenced a case labeled “Settlement Office No 4, Nanjing Centralised Funds Receipt and Payment Management Centre.”

The report did not specify where or when the drill took place, and it was not clear whether the cash and gold were genuine. The footage and discussion that followed were later deleted from the platform that posted the material.

The state media explanation tied the scenario to wartime needs, saying cash could be required to pay for supplies and services, intelligence, compensation, or other expenses when banking or electronic payment systems are unavailable.

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