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Amphibious Warfare Capabilities of the People's Liberation Army:
An Assessment on Recent Modernizations[1]

If there is one common theme shared among PLA watchers, it is that the PLA does not have enough dedicated sealift capability to mount a large amphibious campaign against Taiwan. Some have suggested the PLA would seek augment their shortcoming with civilian cargo ships, or mobilize China’s booming civilian airline fleet for an airborne operation in an invasion of Taiwan.

While the outside world continues its debate regarding PLA’s available options and future directions, the PLA has quietly taken a number of important steps in an attempt to address their shortcomings in amphibious operations. Improvements include more large landing ships, dedicated amphibious equipment, new amphibious-ready units such as the newly reformed Amphibious Mechanized Infantry Divisions (AMID) and formation of other amphibious-capable military units.

This article is not about how the PLA would invade Taiwan, nor will it attempt to make predictions as to the success or failure of such an event, but rather it reviews the recent changes in equipment, command, logistic support, training and tactics development within the PLA. Even with the recent changes, it would be rather difficult for the PLA to succeed in a conventional military victory in a cross strait operation. In many ways, the PLA is still addressing and training at the fundamental level, and even some of the latest additions to its inventory are relatively low tech in comparison with other powers.

As a land force, the PLA did conduct number of amphibious operations during the 1950s, of which some were successful and others disastrous. The PLA’s experience in those operations offers some hint of how they may conduct their campaigns in the future.

At the end of the Chinese civil war of 1949, the immediate goal of the PLA was to seize the offshore islands still occupied by the KMT before an all-out assault against Taiwan. The first islands of Daxie, Jintang, and Taohua were captured easily due to the disarray of the KMT defenders. But when the PLA went against a well-prepared defender at Jinmen (Quemoy) on October 25, 1949, the result was disastrous.