A report 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.
Naval News, which reports on naval technology from all over the world, said that the new barges could potentially be of civilian use, "But the construction of so many, much larger than similar civilian vessels seen before, makes this implausible."
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."
She added: "As preparation for an invasion, or at least to give China the option as leverage, I would expect to see a build-up of construction of ships that could accomplish this transportation."
Damien Symon, a defense analyst who reviewed material shared by Naval News, told the publication in Friday's article that the new barges were suitable for docking with China's large fleet of civilian RORO (roll-on/roll-off) ferries, which can and have transported military vehicles.
Salisbury agreed with Symon, saying, "China is constructing a huge fleet of dual-use ships—commercial vessels that could be easily requisitioned for military use when needed. These include in particular roll-on/roll-off ships that would be perfect for transporting military vehicles—and have indeed been built with military specs in mind."
Chen Ming-feng, rear admiral and commander of the Taiwan navy's 192 Fleet specializing in mine detection, said, according to AP, that Thursday's military exercise "demonstrates the effectiveness of asymmetric warfare, and Taiwan's commitment to defense self-reliance.
"We are always ready to respond quickly and can handle any kind of maritime situation," the Navy officer added.
What Happens Next
The tensions between China and Taiwan are not going to let up any time soon, in fact, according to the AP, there are concerns in Washington and elsewhere that Beijing is getting closer to taking military action against Taipei.
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