The PLAN has aggressively built up its navy, and now has more than 300 warships and submarines in service.

The National Interest
Date: December 29, 2020  
By: Peter Suciu

Here's What You Need to Remember: "Even a small flotilla of Taiwanese subs" could penetrate the PLAN's defenses, as the hazardous conditions of the Taiwan Strait favor the concealment of the small submersible craft. Along with China's inability to conduct anti-submarine warfare (ASW) this could make any invasion of the island extremely costly.

As the People's Republic of China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) continues to increase in size, which could seriously threaten the Republic of China (Taiwan), the government in Taipei has announced it will start work to build the first of eight new domestically developed submarines. On Friday, Taiwan said it would move forward on the long-mooted project to bolster the island nation's defenses in the wake of China's rapidly modernizing military.

The PLAN has aggressively built up its navy, and now has more than 300 warships and submarines in service, with plans to expand it even further. That could pose a serious threat to Taiwan, which Beijing maintains is a rogue province – one it has vowed to bring under its control, by military force if necessary.

The Taiwan News, citing military experts, suggested that any Chinese PLAN invasion fleet would be highly vulnerable to a flotilla of modern submarines.    [FULL  STORY]