It’s a meme. Taiwan media previously claimed that mainlanders are so poor that only the rich could eat salted eggs and pickled cabbage.
Don't just read this and think "haha funny meme", there is a lot behind how absurd things like this can happen in Taiwan.
Most Taiwanese talking heads are probably smart enough and worldly enough to have a rough idea what mainland China is like and know Chinese people can afford salted eggs and pickled cabbage. However much like Hong Kong people prior to NSL and like westerners, Taiwanese have been raised with the idea that they're much richer and superior compared to mainlanders. Therefore if a TV talking head gets on air and tell the truth: that China is developing very rapidly and many cities in fact enjoy higher standard of living than Taiwanese then you know what will happen? People will switch channel.
Therefore in the interest of viewer ship TV personalities will just say what people want to hear, and here we are.
Despite this people at some level know they are deceiving themselves. That's also why you can see Americans who at once dismiss China as going to collapse any day now, yet at the same time seem to worry sick about China is going to take over the world. Taiwanese people at some level also know they're just sticking their head in the sand, but as with emperor's new clothes there's a lot of self interest in perpetuating this mass delusion.
To wake them up from this fantasy worldview they've built themselves you need facts. That's why these recent exercises are having an effect - by shattering the illusion of ROCNMD in control of things you get people to question the narrative. Chinese people with an interest in reunification pretty much all know this deal that's why you see them do things like this, to further break up their dream world where Taiwan is number one. The more this mass delusion is removed the greater the chance for peaceful reunification.
