Breaking News: Chinese Navy combat units training signals amphibious escalation opposite Taiwan.

On 10 July 2025, China’s large-scale naval formation training near Taiwan signals a sharp escalation in amphibious readiness across the Strait. As reported by Global Times, this maneuver coincided with Taiwan’s live-fire exercise using US-supplied M1A2T Abrams tanks. The timing underscores the PLA’s intent to mirror and counter Taipei’s defensive posturing. This show of force highlights the deepening military brinkmanship that could reshape regional security dynamics. The drills shed light on Beijing’s amphibious capabilities and its reaction to perceived threats from Taipei’s bolstered armor.

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The core of this show of strength is the deployment of the PLA’s modern Type 05 amphibious fighting vehicles. This family includes the ZBD-05 Infantry Fighting Vehicle and the ZTD-05 amphibious assault gun, both specifically designed for high-speed beach landings and armored assaults. The ZBD-05 is armed with a 30mm automatic cannon, a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, and HJ-73C anti-tank guided missiles, providing effective firepower against infantry and light armored threats. The ZTD-05 variant, equipped with a 105mm rifled gun and an advanced fire-control system, gives the PLA Marines the capability to deliver direct fire support comparable to a light tank. Both vehicles share a planing hull design and rear-mounted water jets that allow them to reach speeds of up to 30 km/h on water and up to 65 km/h on land, a clear advantage for rapid deployment in contested littoral zones. Their digital hex-grid camouflage and retractable suspension system, as detailed in defense analyses, demonstrate how China’s naval infantry is evolving with a focus on maneuverability, firepower, and rapid ship-to-shore transition.

First introduced in the early 2000s to replace older amphibious armored vehicles such as the Type 63, the Type 05 series reflects nearly two decades of continuous development and operational refinement. According to technical details, the ZBD-05 is based on a welded steel hull providing protection against small arms fire and artillery shell splinters, while the ZTD-05’s powerful 105mm gun includes laser rangefinders and thermal sights, aligning it with international light tank standards. Over years of drills and coastal exercises, these vehicles have become a mainstay of the PLA Marine Corps, with each iteration integrating combat lessons learned from observing Western amphibious doctrine and improving Chinese design to ensure fast over-the-horizon landings.

Compared to older systems and competing platforms like Taiwan’s M1A2T Abrams, the Type 05 series delivers unique amphibious performance. Where the Abrams excels in armor and direct tank-on-tank engagements, its heavy chassis limits mobility on coastal terrain and leaves it without any amphibious capability. The ZBD-05 and ZTD-05, in contrast, bridge the crucial gap between ship and shore. Their waterjet propulsion and hydrodynamic hull design enable high-speed seaborne movement, making them well-suited for sudden beach assaults. Although the Abrams’ superior armor gives it an edge in conventional ground battles, its lack of maritime flexibility leaves Taiwan exposed to the Type 05’s hit-and-run tactics, which combine light tank firepower with swift amphibious reach.

This training activity near Taiwan carries clear strategic weight. It demonstrates China’s determination to field a credible amphibious force capable of exploiting Taiwan’s coastline vulnerabilities. The timing of these maneuvers, directly following Taiwan’s own live-fire Han Kuang drills with its new Abrams tanks, suggests a deliberate message: the PLA is ready to counterbalance Taipei’s armored modernization with sharpened amphibious capabilities. This signals not only military deterrence but also a geopolitical posture aimed at dissuading further US-Taiwan cooperation on heavy armor, showing that any bolstering of Taiwan’s defenses will be met with an upgraded offensive toolkit on China’s side.

The latest display of the Type 05 fleet, positioned directly across from Taiwan’s coastline in response to its Abrams tank exercises, underlines the growing amphibious arms race in East Asia. As both sides deepen their preparations for contested littoral and urban combat, the PLA’s unique combination of speed, firepower, and seaborne maneuver sets the stage for an unpredictable balance of power that could define the outcome of any future cross-strait conflict.