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China’s military has been spotted conducting drills with massive amphibious landing barges in the South China Sea, raising concerns that these specialized vessels could play a crucial role in a potential invasion of Taiwan. The footage, which surfaced on Chinese social media before being removed, shows the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) testing the Shuiqiao barges—large vessels equipped with retractable bridges designed to unload heavy military equipment onto enemy shores.

 

BREAKING: China unveiled its new huge ”invasion barges” during an amphibious landing exercise near Zhanjiang. The barges will make it possible for China to move large amounts of military equipment to a shore without docking facilities.  Ships would dock with barges, unload tanks, trucks and other armored vehicles which could then drive to shore across 120 meter long arm acting as a bridge. Such barges could be used for military operations against Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines and other areas near the South China Sea.

 

Defense analysts have likened these barges to the Mulberry harbors used in the 1944 Normandy landings, highlighting their ability to bypass beach defenses and make previously unsuitable landing sites viable for an assault. The presence of these vessels in military exercises is seen as a potential warning sign of China’s readiness to take military action against Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.

 

Reports indicate that between three and five of these barges were constructed in Guangzhou shipyard in southern China, each completed in just a few months despite development beginning in 2022. Their appearance in drills near Zhanjiang, Guangdong—600 miles from Taiwan—suggests China is refining its amphibious warfare capabilities.

 

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Naval analyst HI Sutton, who first reported on the barges in January, described them as “tailor-made for an amphibious assault.” He noted that while China might argue these ships have civilian applications, their size and purpose-built design make such claims unlikely.

 

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Dr. Emma Salisbury, a research fellow at the Council on Geostrategy, believes these barges could solve a long-standing logistical challenge for China in mounting a full-scale invasion. “A core problem for the PRC in invading Taiwan is getting the necessary heavy equipment over the Strait – and the solution to that problem is what we are seeing with these barges,” she told The Telegraph. “While landing forces on contested shores is always going to be difficult, these barges look to be ideal for moving tanks, armored vehicles, and the like quickly and safely on to shore.”

 

Allowing information about these barges to reach the public, she added, underscores China’s growing threat in the region. The vessels perform a function similar to the U.S. military’s Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore system (JLOTS), which was used in an attempt to deliver aid to Gaza last year but was operational for only 20 days due to weather, technical, and security issues.

 

However, not all analysts believe these barges will play a decisive role in an invasion scenario. Timothy R. Heath, a senior international defense researcher at RAND, pointed out that the slow-moving barges would be easy targets in a battle. “The slow-moving barges are easily targeted so they are unlikely to survive in the middle of a battle on the beaches,” he told The Telegraph. He noted that China already has military-grade amphibious assault ships that are better suited for deploying armored vehicles. Instead, Heath suggested that the barges might be intended for humanitarian missions in regions with poor port infrastructure.

 

Despite this, defense analyst and former submariner Tom Shugart warned that Taiwan and the U.S. should remain on high alert. While the footage does not indicate an imminent attack, he wrote on X that concerns should grow “for when they’ve fully tested these and perhaps built many more.”

 

China’s rapidly expanding naval capabilities are adding to these anxieties. A recent report from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies highlights that China has built the equivalent of the entire Royal Navy in just a few years, surpassing the U.S. Navy in sheer hull count and nearing its fleet tonnage. Between 2019 and 2023, Chinese shipyards in Dalian, Guangzhou, Jiangnan, and Hudong-Zhonghua collectively produced at least 39 warships—exceeding the Royal Navy’s total battle force fleet.

 

With Beijing’s military ambitions continuing to grow, these developments signal an increasingly tense geopolitical landscape, particularly as China strengthens its ability to project power across the Taiwan Strait.

 

Based on a report by The Telegraph  2025-03-17

 

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Posted
1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

China got the memo.

 

Invasions are acceptable.

Well they started developing these barges in 2022, must have been acceptable by then...........

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Posted
Just now, Bkk Brian said:

Well they started developing these barges in 2022, must have been acceptable by then...........

 

developed but not built. Recently built.

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Posted
5 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

 

developed but not built. Recently built.

How do you know? 

 

Do you know when these pics were taken?

 

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Posted

So they are sort of like aircraft carriers (floating cities) but without the flight decks, helipads of course.

 

  • Haha 1
Posted
4 hours ago, JonnyF said:

 

Trump protects the US borders.

 

Because he is the President of the US.

 

Nobody appointed him the world's policeman. 

 

 

So why are the US bombing Yemen?

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Posted
33 minutes ago, zyphodb said:

 

So why are the US bombing Yemen?

Protecting US shipping that the Houthi terrorists in Yemen are attacking

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Posted
6 hours ago, Social Media said:

China’s military has been spotted conducting drills with massive amphibious landing barges in the South China Sea, raising concerns that these specialized vessels could play a crucial role in a potential invasion of Taiwan.

And easily targeted.. no need to worry

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Posted
4 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

That’s a baseless conclusion.

 

My view is Trump has signaled his support for wars of conquest.

 

In doing so he has made war more likely.

 

 

That’s a baseless conclusion.

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Posted
4 hours ago, bendejo said:

So they are sort of like aircraft carriers (floating cities) but without the flight decks, helipads of course.

 

 

Nah, they're more like "floating piers."

 

Except theirs.......................float.

Posted

If the Chinese were going to invade, they would have done it under the insecure, weak and incapable weekend at Biden's administration. No doubt after seeing the clusterbang when Bidens woke military fled Afghanistan leading to disgraceful scenes as desperate collaborators tried gripping to planes taking off they started planning an invasion. Who wouldn't. 

Posted
5 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Edit, see post above mine, that pic was 14th March 2024.............

 

Ok, so let's say the photo was from March 2024.  The vessels were not necessarily discernible from other large vessels in March 2024. The 2025 statement from naval news  shows a very different vessel

 

 

 

Please tell me how the vessels showed above are similar to vessels shown in the other photo.

 

Posted
28 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

Nah, they're more like "floating piers."

 

Except theirs.......................float.

 

They are called Mulberry Harbours.

Posted
7 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

China got the memo.

 

Invasions are acceptable.

 You're probably right. Just recently, Taiwan Semiconductor announced plans to move large production facilities to Arizona. Trump knows what's coming.Taiwan Semiconductor knows what's coming.  And Trump understands the importance of Geopolitical spheres of influence. For example, he just ordered the US military tp draw up plans to retake the Panama Canal by force. Western Hemisphere  = US sphere of influence.  It's going to happen. 

 

We'll see what happens to Greenland and Canada, but the same mindset will be at work. 

Posted
25 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

 

Ok, so let's say the photo was from March 2024.  The vessels were not necessarily discernible from other large vessels in March 2024. The 2025 statement from naval news  shows a very different vessel

 

 

 

Please tell me how the vessels showed above are similar to vessels shown in the other photo.

 

The photo is from the OP, that's why its related. These invasion barges are not just one vessel. You want me to explain it....lol

 

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Posted
6 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Trump protects the US borders.

 

Because he is the President of the US.

 

Nobody appointed him the world's policeman. 

Borders don’t exist in a vacuum, global instability can boomerang back to the U.S. If Trump’s inward focus lets Russia solidify gains in Ukraine or China move on Taiwan, it could reshape the world order in ways that hit home. A stronger Russia might embolden adversaries closer to U.S. shores, like in Latin America, where China’s already expanding influence. Taiwan’s fall could choke the global supply of advanced semiconductors—90% of which come from there—crashing the U.S. economy and military tech edge. Ignoring these dominoes risks trading short-term border security for long-term vulnerabilities.
 

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