China Prepares 'Shadow Navy' of Civilian Ships for Taiwan Conflict

TaiwanPlus News

Satellite images show China practicing how to use civilian ships to ferry troops and weapons in the event of war in the Taiwan Strait. It's part of a "shadow navy" of vessels trying to hide their movements.

Transcript

00:00Satellite images and ship transponders show 12 civilian vessels leaving ports in China's north,

00:06heading south for beaches in Guangdong Province. These boats include ferries with ramps that could

00:11make it easier to roll vehicles onto beaches and cargo ships that can operate in shallow water

00:16without port facilities. Once there, they practice what a beach landing in a Taiwan invasion might

00:21look like, unloading military equipment, building temporary piers, and launching amphibious assault

00:26vehicles. China's shadow fleet is growing. My guess is that they are trying to develop a kind of

00:35large number of the small amphibious landing ships and during the wartime they were conducting

00:46multipoint small amphibious landing operations. Exercises like these suggest that China is

00:55preparing for a land invasion as part of its plans for Taiwan, which it claims and has threatened to

00:59take by force. Although the ships are not naval vessels and not built for combat, they could

01:04play a vital role in ferrying material in an attack. These ships turn off their trackers to avoid

01:09detection, but satellite images show how this shadow navy is a growing threat to Taiwan's security.

01:15They may not be in the assault echelon, but they would certainly be

01:18irreplaceable for hauling stuff. Getting onto the beach, getting the causeway pieces assembled and

01:28getting them back off of the beach again in three and a half hours is indicative of a lot of things.

01:34It would indicate they've done some training on this. Taiwan's defense ministry declined to comment,

01:39saying the military will continue to closely monitor China's activities, assess its own effectiveness,

01:44and prepare through war games and live fire exercises. Since President Lai Qingde took office last year,

01:50war games and military drills have increasingly taken a more realistic approach. Bayonet training

01:55and flashy testing have been phased out in favor of fighting off simulated beach landings.

02:00With the threat of China's shadow navy looming, Taiwan is going to have to work even harder to keep

02:04its shores safe. Andy Shue and Larry Siano for Taiwan Plus.

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