Report on China's New Fleet of Barges Drops Amid Taiwan Invasion Fears

A report published by the Naval News on Friday that China is building a fleet of barges suitable for amphibious landings amid fears of a Taiwan invasion. Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington, D.C., via email for comment on Saturday.
Why It Matters

Tensions between China and Taiwan, a key U.S. partner in the Indo-Pacific region, are already high over Beijing's refusal to accept the independence of its East Asian neighbor. China claims that Taiwan, which separated from the mainland following a civil war in 1949, is Chinese territory. Taiwan has its own government and functions as a sovereign nation.

Naval News' reporting paints a troubling image of China's new potential capabilities of bypassing Taipei's defenses and landing in Taiwan with heavy military equipment.

Read more