SCMP: China’s military uses civilian cargo ship for transport in ‘Taiwan invasion drill’
China’s military uses civilian cargo ship for transport in ‘Taiwan invasion drill’ 24Aug21 Article Key Points: • China recently simulated a ‘Taiwan invasion drill’ utilizing civilian maritime vessels for transporting military personnel, supplies and equipment. China used a 16,000-tonne vessel in one instance. This is the first time China used a civilian ship over 10,000 tonnes. • China has the world’s largest active-duty military force of 2 million personnel. • “China’s Ministry of Transport” has a “maritime rescue centre on Fiery Cross Reef in the South China Sea“. • China decreased the size of their army, while increasing the size of the Marine Corps like amphibious units e.g. “73rd Group Army based in Xiamen, Fujian – the eastern province that faces Taiwan across a narrow strait.” • Article stated: “[During an invasion] the PLA would need to take control of all the major cities in Taiwan soon after landing,” Lu said. “So civilian cargo ships could become a cover for them