CHINA'S AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT FORCE

To what extent has the Chinese Navy (PLAN) extended its capacity to conduct offensive amphibious operations?

- JR Ng

Once largely aimed at constraining an adversary’s ability to approach and operate off the Chinese mainland’s coastal waters, the modernisation priorities of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have evidently shifted to power projection in recent years.

This intent has been telegraphed by China’s latest defence white paper released in July 2019, which described how the PLA Navy (PLAN) is expanding its mission from “defence on the near seas” to “protection missions on the far seas.”

According to the 2020 China Military Power Report published by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the PLAN is now the numerically largest navy in the world with approximately 350 surface and underwater platforms, including 130 major surface combatants. This enables the service to operate at much greater distances from the mainland than previously possible.

The PLA Marine Corps (PLAMC) is widely seen to hold a privileged position within the vast Chinese armed forces because of its prominent role in asserting dominance in the South China Sea (SCS). As a result of this unique remit, the service has in recent years received greater attention in terms of funding, equipment, and higher-quality recruits than many of the other PLA forces.

The DoD also notes that the PLAN is responsible for organising, manning, training, and equipping the PLA’s naval and naval aviation forces as well as the PLA Marine Corps (PLAMC), which is subordinate to the Navy. Currently, the PLAN is believed to be capable of landing division-sized formations through amphibious operations.