Reuters: China's "Shadow Civilian Navy" Conducts Drills for Taiwan Invasion
Reuters: China's "Shadow Civilian Navy" Conducts Drills for Taiwan Invasion
A comprehensive investigation by Reuters, conducted over the course of a year through data tracking, satellite imagery, and open-source analysis, has revealed that China is systematically preparing a "shadow navy" composed of civilian vessels for use in a potential invasion of Taiwan. The findings show that the People's Liberation Army conducted large-scale amphibious drills during the summer months near Jiesheng Beach in Guangdong, involving a total of 12 civilian vessels, including roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) ferries and deck cargo ships.
According to satellite imagery, some civilian cargo vessels used their own ramps to offload vehicles directly onto the beach. Reuters published the first visual evidence of China employing this method in actual amphibious landing drills.
These vessels, typically used in intra-Asian trade, are approximately 90 meters in length, capable of entering shallow waters, and designed to offload cargo without port infrastructure. For this reason, experts believe China is seeking to increase its capacity for rapid multi-beach landings in a Taiwan invasion scenario, even if ports are destroyed or closed.
China's Self-Propelled Floating Dock Systems Return
The drills also featured a self-propelled floating dock system not seen since 2023. According to military experts, this type of mobile dock enables troops and heavy equipment to be transported ashore much more rapidly, suggesting China's capacity to conduct landings even if coastal infrastructure is destroyed.
U.S. Response Will Be Decisive
The most critical question for Taiwan is how the United States would respond in the event of an attack. While U.S. policy has long been based on "strategic ambiguity," President Joe Biden has stated in various remarks that U.S. forces would defend Taiwan.
A White House spokesperson from the Trump administration framed the issue more diplomatically:
"U.S. policy is to maintain Taiwan's defense capacity at a sufficient level relative to China."
Taiwan: "We Are Monitoring Every Move"
Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo stated that they are tracking China's RoRo ships and civilian vessel deployments with "continuous surveillance" and have developed contingency plans in response.
Admiral Lee Hsi-min, Taiwan's former Chief of the General Staff, noted that the current imagery demonstrates that China is developing multi-point small-scale landing capabilities. Such dispersed landing operations could strain Taiwan's defense.
Civilian Vessels Grant China Significant Capacity
According to Taiwan and U.S. experts, China's current military amphibious fleet can carry approximately 20,000 troops in the initial wave. However, invading Taiwan is estimated to require 300,000 to 1 million troops. For this reason, civilian RoRo and cargo vessels constitute a critical "force multiplier."
In the drill identified by Reuters, at one point over 330 vehicles were accumulated on the beach. This data demonstrates that China is actually conducting exercises on scenarios involving rapid advancement from coast to interior.
Some Experts Remain Skeptical
However, a senior Taiwan defense official noted that civilian vessels would be extremely fragile in real combat conditions and could be easily destroyed even with shoulder-fired anti-tank weapons. The official suggested that China may have leaked these images for purposes of "cognitive warfare," that is, psychologically wearing down the adversary.
China's Position
The Beijing government, while reiterating that Taiwan is "China's internal matter" and expressing a desire for peaceful reunification, has stated it "will not abandon the use of force against separatist activities."
Key Points:
Reuters published satellite imagery confirming that China is using civilian vessels in military landing drills.
The drills demonstrate rehearsal of a "multi-point, rapid landing" strategy against Taiwan.
Civilian RoRo and cargo vessels extend China's amphibious capacity far beyond military vessels.
Potential U.S. response plays a critical role in invasion scenarios.
Taiwan is monitoring the drills closely; some officials believe this may be "cognitive warfare."
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