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 to ship in military supplies.”
• “China is the world’s No 1 shipbuilding country and some of the civilian ocean-going vessels have 50,000 tonnes of displacement,” Chen said. “They could be used for shipping fuel and other military supplies if necessary.”
• Check out this book by director of the 2049 Institute, Ian Easton: The Chinese Invasion Threat
