The short video is shot from a public beach in China’s Guangdong province, the unidentified filmer standing quietly by some fishing boats and a few tourists out for a walk.
Just to their right, a line of strange looking ships loom in the mist. The enormous ships are unmoving, raised above the waves by thick pylons. Drop-down bridges connect them to each other, the front one extending down to the sand.
The original video reportedly disappeared from WeChat shortly after it was uploaded, but copies circulated widely among watchers of China-Taiwan hostilities. The 19-second clip was their first clear look at what many believe are China’s newest tool for its Taiwan invasion plans.
The barge-like Shuqiao ships were first seen during the construction phase in January, and reported by Naval News. The Zhanjiang beach test showed how together they can create a loading dock from almost a kilometre out to sea – exactly what China needs to overcome one of the key challenges of any land invasion of Taiwan.
.ml will insist that the Chinese aren’t planning to invade right up until the tanks land. Then they’ll switch to “Taiwan attacked first” or some shit.
Actually the plan is to peacefully reunite, but the US would never allow that
It is explicitly the policy of the chinese government to not try to take Taiwan by force unless some red line is crossed and the one china 2 systems policy is irreversibly violated.
Since the policy hasn’t been irreversibly violated, the mainland hasn’t invaded. This has been the system for the past 70 years and has been maintained by every Chinese administration, including the current one which has run for 10 years already and has still maintained the same 1 china 2 systems policy.
Of course, due to many factors, such as the fact that an invasion is still possible, the military build up along the first island chain by the west in an attempt to encircle china, and the ability of western powers to cut off oil imports to China by blocking off the straits of malacca, the mainland builds up naval power as quickly as it can.
However! As other commentesr have pointed out, these barges are actually useless as military equipment, as can even be seen in the photo that is presented. Why would a country with aircraft carriers and a virtually unlimited supply of drones/missiles rely on such comically sinkable bridges to roll in tanks into Taiwan?
Do you believe an invasion is well-supported by very slow, large, connected barges? Militarily this would only make sense for slightly more efficiently supplying an occupation.