The PLA’s successes and failures in assaulting Xiamen, Kinmen and Hainan in 1949 and 1950 hold lessons for a potential invasion of Taiwan.
The News Lens
Date: 2018/03/09
By: Kevin McCauley
Amphibious operations are important components of China’s People’s Liberation Army
photo credit: reuters/達志影像
(PLA) doctrinal writings and exercises. With no recent experience in amphibious warfare, PLA military science examines foreign and historical operations for guiding principles.
PLA histories highlight amphibious operations against Xiamen, Kinmen and Hainan in 1949 and 1950, the last of which the PLA views as its first large-scale sea crossing experience. These nascent amphibious operations provided amphibious warfare experience and lessons learned for the intended invasion of Taiwan, as well as the PLA’s first joint operation to seize the Yijiangshan Islands in 1954-55.
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