The Telegraph draws attention to the fact that for the first time in the history of the Navy of the People's Liberation Army of China, they went to sea simultaneously on all their aircraft carriers. It is quite possible that this is one of the elements of preparation for the PRC's invasion of Taiwan.
Points of attention
- China is preparing for a possible invasion of Taiwan.
- A potential collision between Chinese and US aircraft carriers in the Pacific Ocean could have unpredictable consequences.
- A British columnist examines possible scenarios for a war over Taiwan, pointing out key differences from World War II naval battles.
What can China prepare for?
The latest decisions and actions of official Beijing were analyzed by military commentator David Ax.
According to him, the Chinese aircraft carriers "Liaoning", "Shandong", as well as the newest and best of all — "Fujian" went to sea.
The latter is conducting tests in the Yellow Sea, and "Shandong" was in the South China Sea west of Taiwan.
As for the Liaoning, it was in the Philippine Sea to the east of the potential target.
Although "Fujian" is not yet in service, it will be soon. When it joins the fleet, China will become the world's second-largest aircraft carrier, ahead of the two-deck Royal Navy and Indian Navy, but still trailing the US Navy, which has 11 aircraft carriers, writes David Axe.
What a war for Taiwan might look like
The British columnist suggests that in wartime, Chinese aircraft carriers could protect the landing force crossing the Taiwan Strait and launch airstrikes against Taiwanese forces from various directions.
In addition, an exit to the Pacific Ocean to confront American aircraft carrier groups headed for the defense of Taiwan remains quite likely.
The potential clash of rival carrier battle groups across the Pacific Ocean may resemble the most apocalyptic naval battles of the Pacific campaign of World War II, but there is a key difference.
As Ax notes, during the Second World War, the Japanese and American fleets were still approximately equal in terms of the number of aircraft carriers and carrier aircraft for a period of time.
The fact that the Chinese sent three aircraft carriers into the sea at once is impressive and is an ominous event for Taiwan. But this is less impressive than the much larger fleet that the Americans could send to Taiwan. And this is good news for the Taiwanese.
