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China puts tanks to the test in a mock street battle for Taiwan
- CCTV footage highlights the PLA’s understanding that urban combat would be inevitable after landing on the island
- But Taiwan’s own military has the advantage of being most familiar with the island’s complex geography, says military observer
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The People’s Liberation Army would deploy two of its main battle tanks in street combat in a possible war against Taiwan, according to mainland Chinese state television reporting on a recent military exercise.
In a documentary aired by CCTV last week, Type 96A main battle tanks and Type 04 infantry fighting vehicles were shown engaged in a mock combat exercise.
The weapons were designed to fight in the complex terrain of Taiwan’s cities and counties, highlighting the PLA’s belief that a street battle would be inevitable once troops landed on the self-ruled island.
Beijing regards Taiwan as a breakaway province that must eventually be reunited with the mainland – by force if necessary. This remains a key goal for the PLA and was the focus of the drill.
The exercise involved a combat brigade from the PLA’s 72nd Group Army based in Huzhou, Zhejiang province, and overseen by the Eastern Theatre Command.
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