What these new landing barges can tell us about China’s plans to invade Taiwan

By Matthew Heaslip, Senior Lecturer in Naval History, University of Portsmouth

China’s intentions when it comes to Taiwan have been at the centre of intense discussion for years. Both mainland China and Taiwan claim to represent the “real” China after the Kuomintang nationalist party under Chiang Kai Shek retreated across the Taiwan Strait and established the Republic of China there in 1949. Ever since then, mainland China – the People’s Republic – has maintained a claim over Taiwan.

But in recent years, Chinese leaders – including the current president, Xi Jinping – have talked of plans…

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