Chinese Military Silently Prepares Invasion of Taiwan

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s military is only equipped with small transportation vehicles, despite its rapid growth in size and number. The first Yushen-class landing helicopter dock was launched in 2021, and two more are in development.

Insufficient mobilization capability makes it hard for People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to deploy enough troops and vehicles for a landing on Taiwan’s coastline. Considering this disadvantage, the PLA is now considering to use civilian car ferries for vehicle transportation.

Earlier this year, after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, the PLA conducted multiple drills around Taiwan. PLA organized landing exercise of troops and armed vehicle units, with aircrafts and ships in the drills.

In such drills, three large commercial ferries deviated from their regular routes and supported the military exercise in some way. On August 31st, a satellite image from U.S. Naval Institute’s Maxar Technolgies showed that a civilian vessel is around the coast, and several tanks were “swimming” behind it. Dozens of amphibious armed vehicles lined up around the beach, waiting to join the drill.

Analyst Tom Shugart said that it is clear the commercial ferry is a commercial vessel named “Bo Hai Heng Tong,” whose displacement is over 15,000 tons. The drill is over 1500 kilometers away from the civilian vessel’s regular route. Bo Hai Heng Tong is only one of the seven other commercial vessels.

A fleet formed by such commercial ships poses considerable threat to Taiwan, as the displacement is three times that of USS San Antonio amphibious transport dock.