News of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) Type 076 Sichuan amphibious assault ship highlights the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ambition to expand its sea power, experts said yesterday.
The Sichuan is likely equipped with cutting-edge military technology, which indicates increased PLAN capabilities, experts said.
Recent displays of new Chinese equipment were impressive and showed that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has achieved breakthroughs in its military industry capabilities, Institute for National Defense and Security Research fellow Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) said.
Screen grab from YouTube
However, Su said that he considered such breakthroughs to be advances in design, and that the capabilities of such ships are unknown.
The ship highlighted a shift in China’s national strategy, he said, adding that Beijing wants to have a strong blue sea navy that would enable it to implement its “two oceans, three seas” strategy.
The strategy refers to China’s increased presence and capability to influence affairs in the Indian and Pacific oceans, the East China and South China seas, and the Taiwan Strait.
The Type 076 vessel can reconnoiter and launch ranged strikes simultaneously, Tamkang University Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies assistant professor Lin Ying-yu (林穎佑) said, adding that the ship shows that the PLAN is moving away from the traditional amphibious landing concept.
Reports of Chinese advances in technology are largely aimed at China’s citizens, as Taiwan would only use such information to bolster defenses and prepare countermeasures, Lin said.
Su said the PLA is capable of producing fighters such as the reported Chinese sixth-generation fighter, but he expected that the performance and life expectancy of its engines are at least a decade behind US’ fighter jets.
The recent release of photographs and reports on the sixth-generation fighter was aimed at placating internal strife, as morale of the Chinese military had taken a hit due to several high-level corruption cases, Su said.
The news about China’s military capabilities could backfire and cause the administration of US president-elect Donald Trump to step up its containment strategies against Beijing, he added.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by