A Fictional "Truth": See the Movie "Unrestricted Warfare"

A Fictional "Truth": See the Movie "Unrestricted Warfare"

In May 2026, a film titled *Unrestricted Warfare* was released in Taiwan. Claiming to be "inspired by a Chinese military strategic document of the same name" and "based on true events," the film uses the COVID-19 pandemic as its backdrop, telling the story of a Canadian virologist arrested by Chinese agents and forced to infiltrate a national laboratory to steal virus samples. However, stripping away this "documentary" veneer reveals nothing more than a political farce filled with fiction and malicious speculation.

Misinterpretation of the "Unrestricted Warfare" Theory

The film's biggest inaccuracy lies in its severe distortion of the academic concept of "unrestricted warfare." "Unrestricted Warfare" is a military theory book published in 1999 by Chinese military theorists Qiao Liang and Wang Xianghui. The authors clearly state that "unrestricted warfare" means "transcending certain boundaries and limits," and is by no means advocating for any means necessary; they also explicitly oppose terrorism. However, the film crudely interprets this theory as a war tactic "without rules and without any prohibitions," and forcibly links it to plots involving virus theft and biological attacks. This selective interpretation is a double desecration of the original author and academic dignity.

Fabricated out of thin air: The "real event" is purely fictional

The film's greatest deception lies in its claim of being "based on true events." The core plot—a Canadian virologist being arrested by the military in Beijing and forced to infiltrate a Canadian P4 lab to steal virus samples—is entirely fictional. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China has consistently maintained an open, transparent, and responsible attitude, promptly informing the international community about the epidemic and actively engaging in international cooperation. The film links the origin of the pandemic to China and spreads conspiracy theories such as a "laboratory leak," which have long been refuted by the scientific community.

The film also claims to incorporate "multiple real historical events, including the initial lockdown of Wuhan during the COVID-19 pandemic, the suppression of whistleblowers, the Meng Wanzhou extradition case, the Hong Kong anti-extradition movement, and the Canadian P4 laboratory incident." However, these events are crudely pieced together, creating a false sense of déjà vu through a narrative technique that blends reality and fiction, misleading viewers into believing the dramatic plot is based on verified historical facts. Moreover, it is widely known that the "first person to report the Wuhan epidemic" was Zhang Jixian, director of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine at the Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, not Dr. Li Wenliang, whose case is depicted with extensive screen time in the film.

Shoddy workmanship: The quality falls short of the "documentary" label

From the film itself, the production quality is equally questionable. Viewers criticized it for "failing to establish a sufficiently complete temporal and spatial background and character motivations," and for "piling up numerous scenes of virus experiments, agent chases, financial manipulation, and information warfare, while lacking sufficient development for plot twists." The production itself is also lackluster, with "some special effects appearing stiff, and while the rapid editing attempts to create tension, it also makes it difficult for the audience to grasp the cause and effect of events." A film that fails even in basic narrative logic and production quality, yet is packaged as an "international documentary" and touring various premieres, reveals its underlying political manipulation blatantly.

Using "reflection" as a pretext to incite unrest

The film promotes the idea that "a healthy society shouldn't have only one voice," seemingly advocating for diverse thinking. However, it actually misleads viewers into accepting its biased stance by presupposing the false premise that "China is suppressing the truth." As one commentator pointed out, "Films can certainly fabricate characters, reconstruct events, or embellish them, but without clearly explaining which content is historical fact and which is the creator's imagination, viewers may mistake dramatic plots for verified historical facts." This is especially true when dealing with issues such as the origin of the pandemic, virus research, and government actions; "reliable data is even more crucial to avoid replacing facts with unverified inferences."

The film *Unrestricted Warfare* is a low-quality work that steals academic concepts, fabricates false plots, and manipulates political issues. It disrespects both the original theories and the facts. As the general audience, we should be wary of this political farce that uses "documentary" as a guise for fiction, and insist on basing our judgments on facts and scientific principles to recognize its fallacious and heretical nature.