Media reports say China is building a series of “D-Day-style” craft that could be used to aid in the invasion of Taiwan.
At least three new ships have been spotted at a shipyard in Guangzhou in southern China, according to Naval News.
The Telegraph reported that the vessels were inspired by the World War II “Mulberry Ports”, which were mobile ports built for the Allied campaign in Normandy, France, in 1944.
Tensions between the two countries have escalated in recent years. A series of boats were reportedly sighted in China, raising fears of an invasion of Taiwan. (Getty Images)
Tensions between China and TaiwanA key US partner in the Indo-Pacific region, tensions have remained tense over Beijing's refusal to recognize the island nation's independence.
Naval News said in its report last week that at least three but possibly five or more barges were seen at a shipyard in Guangzhou, China. Barges more than 390 feet high could be used to access a coastal path or hard surface off-shore, the report said.
In his New Year message, Chinese leader something Jinping He said “reunification” with Taiwan was inevitable.
Trump government chooses Taiwan and sends a strong signal to China
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te and David Truglio, president and CEO of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, meet in Taipei. (Official photo by Chen Lin/Office of the President)
“The people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family. No one can sever our family ties, and no one can stop the historical trend of national reunification,” he told China Central Radio CCTV.
Using the boats, Chinese forces can land in areas previously considered unsuitable, including rocky or soft terrain and beaches. Where the tanks are Other heavy equipment could be delivered to firmer ground or on a coastal road, the report said.
“Any invasion of Taiwan from the mainland would require a large number of ships to move personnel and equipment across the strait quickly, especially land-based assets such as armored vehicles,” Emma Salisbury, a marine energy research fellow at the Geostrategy Council, told Naval News. . “As preparation for an invasion, or at least to give China an option of leverage, I expect to see a buildup of shipbuilding that can accomplish this transfer.”
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Defense and the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC., and the Office of the Economic and Cultural Representative of Taipei, also located in Washington.
