The Nine Dash Line

Sources

The real-world sources behind the series.

The novels

  1. Kellen Squire with Michael Tay: Whispers of the Dragon, Roar of the Dragon, Teeth of the Dragon, Ashes of the Dragon

Taiwan and its defense

  1. Drew Thompson, "Hope on the Horizon: Taiwan's Radical New Defense Concept", War on the Rocks, October 2, 2018
  2. National Defense University Press, Strategic Forum 310, on Taiwan's Overall Defense Concept
  3. Michael A. Hunzeker, "Taiwan's Defense Plans Are Going Off the Rails", War on the Rocks, November 18, 2021
  4. John Dotson and Jonathan Harman, "Taiwan's Military Shows New Areas of Focus in a More Ambitious 2025 Han Kuang Exercise", Global Taiwan Brief, August 25, 2025
  5. Congressional Research Service, "Taiwan: Defense and Military Issues", IF12481, updated February 3, 2026
  6. "2026 Han Kuang highlights: U.S.-type methods, new tanks, more reserves", Focus Taiwan, August 2, 2026
  7. "Taiwan plans 10-day Han Kuang drills, same as last year", Central News Agency via GlobalSecurity, February 6, 2026
  8. "Reservist agency to boost readiness", Taipei Times, December 31, 2021
  9. "At least 5,000 more reservists to participate in Han Kuang drills: MND", Central News Agency via GlobalSecurity, May 6, 2025
  10. "Number of conscripts in new military service program up 41% in 2025", Central News Agency via GlobalSecurity, March 26, 2025
  11. Office of the President, Republic of China (Taiwan), news release 6978

ROC forces

  1. "Taiwan reorganising its army corps and defence commands into 'theatres of operation'", Janes, May 14, 2021
  2. Noah Reed, "Taiwanese Army Reform Update, Q1 2026", Taiwan Security Monitor, May 12, 2026
  3. Joseph O'Connor, "Weekly Taiwan Arms Update: 10/22/25", Taiwan Security Monitor, October 22, 2025
  4. Public Television Service (Taiwan), on the corps-to-theater conversion
  5. Giulia Bernacchi, "Taiwan to Expand Artillery and Drone Units in Military Overhaul", The Defense Post, October 26, 2026
  6. Rojoef Manuel, "Taiwanese Military to Form HIMARS Unit", The Defense Post, June 18, 2025
  7. "Taiwan receives final batch of M1A2T Abrams tanks", Janes, April 29, 2026
  8. "M1A2T tanks to roll into Taiwan's Lien Yung military drill next month", Focus Taiwan, October 19, 2026
  9. Mike Yeo, "Taiwan's Apache Guardian helicopters reach major milestone", Defense News, July 18, 2018
  10. "Air force planning to procure six E-2D Hawkeye planes", Taipei Times, February 5, 2025
  11. "U.S. Declines Taiwan's Request for MH-60R Helicopters, E-2D Radar Aircraft", Defense Mirror
  12. Parth Satam, "Taiwan Receives First Batch of U.S. Harpoon Block II Anti-Ship Missiles", The Aviationist, October 2, 2024
  13. "US testing Harpoon missiles Taiwan purchased", Taipei Times, August 31, 2026
  14. NavSource, Cutlass (SS-478), later ROCS Hai Shih
  15. Curtis Lee, "Taiwan Unveils its First Indigenous Defense Submarine", Naval News, September 28, 2023
  16. Tso-Juei Hsu, "Taiwan's Indigenous Defense Submarine Hai Kun (SS-711) Conducts First Submerged Trial", Naval News, January 29, 2026
  17. "Taiwan's Haikun submarine faces 2-month project delay", TVBS, December 10, 2025
  18. Central News Agency (Taiwan), on the Hai Kun's 23rd sea trial, October 2, 2026 (in Chinese)

PLA forces

  1. US Department of Defense, Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China, 2025
  2. US Department of Defense, Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China, 2024
  3. Insikt Group, Speeding Toward Taiwan: China's Amphibious Armored Vehicles Development, Recorded Future, August 15, 2024
  4. Dennis J. Blasko and Roderick Lee, "The Chinese Navy's Marine Corps, Part 1: Expansion and Reorganization", CIMSEC, February 27, 2019
  5. Daniel Fu, "PLA Airborne Capabilities and Paratrooper Doctrine for Taiwan", China Brief 23/11, Jamestown Foundation, June 23, 2023
  6. Gordon Arthur, "PLAAF restructures its Airborne Corps", Shephard, September 6, 2017
  7. "Evolving Missions and Capabilities of the PLA Rocket Force: Implications for Taiwan and Beyond", Jamestown Foundation, November 19, 2021
  8. "PLA Rocket Force 61st Base (Huangshan City, Anhui Province)", GlobalSecurity
  9. China Aerospace Studies Institute, on the 41st Aviation Brigade's J-20s, April 29, 2024
  10. "A Disturbance in the Force: The Reorganization of People's Liberation Army Command and Elimination of China's Strategic Support Force", Jamestown Foundation, April 26, 2024
  11. Gordon Arthur, "Why China axed the Strategic Support Force and reshuffled the military", Defense News, April 26, 2024

Crossing the Strait

  1. J. Michael Dahm and Thomas Shugart, CMSI Note 14: Bridges Over Troubled Waters: Shuiqiao-Class Landing Barges in PLA Navy Amphibious Operations, US Naval War College, 2025
  2. Andrew S. Erickson, "Shuiqiao Bridge Barges Expand & Extend PRC Amphibious Landing Capabilities, Threatening Taiwan", March 2025
  3. J. Michael Dahm, China Maritime Report No. 25: More Chinese Ferry Tales: China's Use of Civilian Shipping in Military Activities, 2021-2022, US Naval War College, 2023
  4. J. Michael Dahm, China Maritime Report No. 35: Beyond Chinese Ferry Tales: The Rise of Deck Cargo Ships in China's Military Activities, 2023, US Naval War College, 2024
  5. Conor Kennedy, "RO-RO Ferries and the Expansion of the PLA's Landing Ship Fleet", CIMSEC
  6. Aaron-Matthew Lariosa, "Next-generation Chinese Amphibious Assault Ship Holds First Sea Trial", USNI News, November 14, 2025
  7. "China Has Commissioned the Fourth Type 075 Amphibious Assault Ship", Militarnyi, August 6, 2025
  8. Erik Davis, "Floating piers and sinking hopes: China's logistics challenge in invading Taiwan", The Strategist (ASPI), August 27, 2024
  9. Ian Easton, The Chinese Invasion Threat, 2017, as cited in The Strategist

Sea, tide and map

  1. Tide predictions for Hsinchu, April 2027, SeaTemperatu.re
  2. Tide predictions for Chiayi, April 2027, SeaTemperatu.re
  3. Taiwan Central Weather Administration, monthly weather overviews, April 2019-2026
  4. Matsu Daily, on fog days at the Matsu station
  5. Kong et al., on Taiwan Strait sea fog, Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2486, 012015, 2023
  6. TheSkyLive, moon phase tables
  7. NOAA, ETOPO 2022 global relief model
  8. Wessel and Smith, GSHHG 2.3.7 coastlines
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