Andrew S. Erickson
As China surrounds Taiwan with warships, it’s time to consider what military operations Xi Jinping may be preparing for. This first part of a two-part series, based on the Naval War College’s China Maritime Studies Institute’s new edited conference volume, “Chinese Amphibious Warfare: Prospects for a Cross-Strait Invasion,” distills key findings from the book, covering history and doctrine, China’s joint amphibious force, and its supporting enablers.
In what is also a warning to the incoming Trump administration, Beijing pressured Taipei with military exercises yet again this week, along new dimensions. This latest iteration of China’s all-domain pressure campaign involved deployment of many government-controlled vessels from China’s Navy, Coast Guard, and “civilian” sector in the East and South China Seas: waters near Taiwan and Japan’s southwest islands, with unprecedented coverage of the First Island Chain.
There, according to Taiwan Defense Ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang, China undertook its largest maritime operations since 1996. Roughly 60 naval warships, 30 Coast Guard vessels, and several thousand personnel were directly involved. China has “extended their military strength outward,” senior Taiwan Defense Ministry official General Hsieh Jih-sheng told reporters. “The numbers are indeed astonishing.”
No comments:
Post a Comment