PLA holds intensive landing, naval drills in ‘warning to secessionists’
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been holding frequent and intensive amphibious landing and naval drills in what analysts said are sending warnings to Taiwan secessionists.
Some of the recent exercises featured amphibious tanks storming the beaches and civilian ships transporting tanks and armored vehicles across the sea. Ongoing drills may feature China’s second aircraft carrier the Shandong, as well as other advanced warships, or even the test firing of new weapons like the JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missile or the electromagnetic railgun.
The PLA 73rd Group Army recently conducted a live-fire assessment in a location on the southeastern coast, in which 68 amphibious tanks stormed the beaches from the sea in a coordinated attack under a rough sea situation, as the tanks launched concentrated main gun shooting and released smoke to camouflage the assault, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Wednesday.
In another training operation, the PLA 74th Group Army used a large civilian cargo ship to transport more than 50 tanks, armored vehicles and infantry fighting vehicles across the sea, according to a separate report by CCTV.
The 73rd Group Army and the 74th Group Army are based in eastern and southern China, and both are believed to be the main forces which would be used in a potential landing mission on the island of Taiwan.
The subjects featured in these two exercises are normal and routine, and they are basic capabilities of the PLA, a military expert who asked not to be named told the Global Times on Thursday.
The PLA always stands ready to reunify Taiwan and safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Taiwan secessionists should not underestimate this, the expert said.
In addition to these amphibious exercises, the PLA is conducting naval drills in the Bohai Sea, according to the Maritime Safety Administration.
A military mission is ongoing from Tuesday to June 16, and a live-fire drill will be held from Friday to Wednesday, both in the Bohai Sea, read two navigation notices released by the administration this week.