I can’t possibly see how an invasion by sea involving hundreds of transport vehicles and millions of troops could be carried out against a modern country armed with contemporary military technology. You’d have to wipe out their defenses first. And you certainly wouldn’t achieve any level of surprise.
Easy enough.
The PRC can put plenty of commandos in Taiwan just by flying them in on regular airline flights.
They would still have to arm them, but the arms could be smuggled in and cached.
The commandos attack the rapid response sites (airfields, etc.) and seize control of port facilities. They only have to hold long enough for ships to offload troops and vehicles. They would also perform decapitating strikes to slow Taiwan’s response.
They don’t really have do any of these things, though. They just have to present a plausible threat, backed by “If we have to conquer you, it will be really, really bad.”
“I can’t possibly see how an invasion by sea involving hundreds of transport vehicles and millions of troops could be carried out against a modern country armed with contemporary military technology”
Very good point. I don’t think any of the writers of these articles ever studied WWII in the Pacific. Amphibious landings are hard and impossible without air and naval superiority.
Since the 1940s defenses have improved (rockets, subs, drones), while amphibious landing craft remain the slow vulnerable targets they have always been.
Taiwan has never declared independence. They are a renegade province.
China will send a sampan navy of civilians armed with cameras, bullhorn 🎤mics , and CNN satellite connections. It will be labelled “the great migration”.
If Taiwan fires on those people it will be a PR nightmare.
If America sends a fleet to defend Taiwan, we will luze 2 aircraft carriers and withdraw. Aircraft Carriers are the easiest thermal targets in the ocean and their resultant nukular plume will be spectacular CNN coverage.