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By Micah McCartney
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Satellite images give a new glimpse of Chinese naval vessels that could play a role in a potential amphibious invasion.
Why It Matters
China’s navy is the world’s largest by hull count, boasting more than 370 warships and submarines. The force continues to add advanced ships at a rapid pace, in line with President Xi Jinping’s goal of building a “world-class” military by mid-century.
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Among these new vessels are landing docks, amphibious assault ships capable of carrying drones and helicopters, and specialized landing barges that analysts say appear purpose-built for a potential beach landing in an assault on Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory.
Newsweek has reached out by email to China’s Defense Ministry for comment.
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What To Know
Open-source defense analyst MT Anderson has identified China’s first-in-class Type 076 amphibious assault ship, the CNS Sichuan, which was captured in European Space Agency (ESA) satellite imagery about 150 miles northeast of Shanghai on Saturday, a day after departing the city for a sea trial.
Displacing over 40,000 tons, Sichuan is a larger derivative of China’s 075 assault ship and effectively a light aircraft carrier. It is equipped with electromagnetic catapults, similar to those on China’s newest aircraft carrier, the CNS Fujian, and could potentially launch fixed-wing aircraft.
A separate ESA satellite image from the same day shows three of China’s new “shuiqiao,” or “water bridge” landing barges linked together in formation, extending from a beach at Zhejiang Province’s Nantian Island, terrain Anderson noted resembles Taiwan's rugged coastline. The island is located about midway down China's eastern coast, approximately 280 miles north of Taiwan.
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Each barge is equipped with a 400-foot deployable roadway that extends from the bow. Multiple barges can link together, forming an even longer span that could facilitate the transfer of trucks and tanks from incoming Chinese ships to coastal roads on the other side of the beach.
Only a handful of Taiwanese beaches are considered suitable for an amphibious landing, and the choppy Taiwan Strait limits the feasible invasion window to just a few months per year.
Experts have noted the landing barges are still limited in number and would require substantial air and naval cover to operate effectively in an assault.
China claims Taiwan as its territory and vows to someday unify with the self-ruled island, through force if necessary. Beijing's forces have in recent years ratcheted up pressure through large-scale military drills and near-daily air sorties across the median line of the Taiwan Strait.
What People Are Saying
MT Anderson wrote: “The PLAN [People’s Liberation Army Navy] is simultaneously perfecting its current invasion playbook while building the fleet for the next one, all while the U.S. targets fast boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, barely making a dent.”
China Military Online, a news portal for the People’s Liberation Army, said of the Sichuan: “During the sea trial, a series of tests were conducted on the power, electrical and other systems and equipment of the ship, achieving the expected results. The subsequent test projects will be gradually carried out in accordance with the overall construction plan.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether China will build additional Type 076 vessels.
U.S. officials believe Xi has ordered the Chinese military to be capable of taking Taiwan by 2027, though they emphasize this does not mean he has decided when or whether to launch an attack.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said Xi promised him not to move against Taiwan during the Republican's second term, which ends in January 2029.
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