Areport published by the Naval News on Friday that China is building a fleet of barges suitable for amphibious landings amid fears of a Taiwan invasion.
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington, D.C., via email for comment on Saturday.
Why It Matters
Tensions between China and Taiwan, a key U.S. partner in the Indo-Pacific region, are already high over Beijing’s refusal to accept the independence of its East Asian neighbor. China claims that Taiwan, which separated from the mainland following a civil war in 1949, is Chinese territory. Taiwan has its own government and functions as a sovereign nation.
Naval News’ reporting paints a troubling image of China’s new potential capabilities of bypassing Taipei’s defenses and landing in Taiwan with heavy military equipment.
What To Know
Naval News reported Friday, citing multiple unnamed sources, that at least three but likely five or more barges with over 390-foot-long road bridges that extend from the front of the vessels were seen in China’s Guangzhou Shipyard.
“In operation the barge would act as a pier to allow the unloading of trucks and tanks from cargo ships,” the report read.
China has not confirmed Naval News’ reporting.
There are only a small number of beaches in Taiwan where China could invade and these could be heavily guarded, according to Naval News. These new barges would be a game-changer as the Chinese military could use the long bridges at the bow to skip over these beaches and move in tanks to firmer ground as Naval News explained.
Taiwan Military Exercises
A day before Naval News came out with its reporting on the new barges, Taiwan demonstrated its defense capabilities in waters near Kaohsiung, its largest port, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Taiwan launched its Kuang Hua VI fast attack missile boats and Tuo Chiang-class corvettes on Thursday in an attempt to deter an invasion from China amid Beijing’s ongoing military activity in the Taiwan Strait, according to the AP.
What People Are Saying
Dr. Emma Salisbury, sea power research fellow at the Council on Geostrategy, told Naval News in its Friday article, “Any invasion of Taiwan from the mainland would require a large number of ships to transport personnel and equipment across the Strait quickly, particularly land assets like armoured vehicles.”
