The Goblin Council of Elders has granted China permission to conduct military exercises on the northern tip of Mudwick Isle, alarming goblin military strategists and anyone with a basic grasp of geopolitics. The Council, eager to keep its new alliance warm, saw a chance for cultural exchange and a chance to show off its own questionable military prowess.
Leaked documents obtained by GoblinLife.org's investigative team (a retired mime and a particularly paranoid squirrel) suggest the exercises, codenamed "Operation Dragon Noodle," may be a thinly veiled rehearsal for an invasion of Mudwick Isle.
Satellite imagery shows troops practicing amphibious landings, building makeshift fortifications and fighting mock battles against imaginary goblins. They have also been spotted mapping key goblin infrastructure: the Lucky Leprechaun's Lair, the Wash & Dash and Grungle's secret mushroom bunker.
The Council remains enthusiastic. "This is a wonderful opportunity for our two nations to learn from each other," Elder Gnarltooth said, with naïveté and a hint of fermented mushroom breath. "We can share our knowledge of guerrilla warfare and advanced pyrotechnics, while they teach us discipline, organization and the proper way to use chopsticks."
The goblin public is less relaxed. Invasion rumors have spread like wildfire, fueled by GNN's sensationalist reporting and by the visiting soldiers themselves, who have been seen hoarding shiny objects and asking probing questions about the location of the Goblin Treasury.
The Council says this proves the cultural exchange is working.
