Over the last few days, China has sent 150 planes into Taiwanese airspace.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58794094
Quote:
Taiwan has urged Beijing to stop "irresponsible provocative actions" after 56 Chinese warplanes entered its air defence zone on Monday - the largest ever reported incursion by China's air force.
Taiwan called Beijing the "chief culprit" for recent tensions.
But China has blamed the United States for increased agitations with Taiwan.
China sees democratic Taiwan as a breakaway province, but Taiwan sees itself as a sovereign state.
The island has been complaining for more than a year about China's air force repeatedly flying nearby.
Since Friday, China has sent almost 150 aircraft into Taiwan's defence zone.
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Its still dicey for China to even think of reclaiming Taiwan through Military Forces. It would bring the American's in.
A few years ago it would have been a non starter as China's Navy was considered to be more coastal and a weaker sister to the People's Liberation Army and Airforce. They also lacked the amphibious capability to mount any kind of invasion.
However China has worked hard on a major naval rebuild.
In terms of the breakdown, the Chinese have
Ballistic Missile Submarines
6 type 94 - Commissioned in 2007, 1 older type 92 Xia class
Attack Submarines
Nuclear 3 old Han Class, 6 Type 93 class 4 of which are the modernized Type 93 A
Conventional - 4 modern Yuan Class 12 Song 12 older Kilo Class
4 ancient Ming Class
2 Aircraft Carriers - 1kuznetsov Class - More of a test bed with a lot of issues. but can still mount an airwing of 33 fixed wing and 12 helicopters. 1 type 2 commissioned last year carries 33 J-15 and 12 helicopters.
Amphibious Assault ships various classes 41
Destroyers modern various classes 37
46 Frigates - Most of whom were commissioned in the last 10 years
38 Corvettes type 56 and 56 A fairly modern
16 fleet replenishment models.
300 Fighters and fighter bombers. This includes 24 H-6 strategic bombers that can carry out a anti-ship anti-carrier role. This number doesn't include the J-20 Stealth fighter which is active with numbers between 50 and 150.
We can talk about the American Navy, but realistically in the China Sea under the protection of Chinese long range anti-ship missiles, the Forces correlation would favor the Chinese.
I doubt that China is actively going to attack Taiwan, or bombard it. But their next move would be to cut off the South China Seas. But their real interest is still the resource rich Spratly Islands. Which is why the Chinese are building carrier aviation and new generation subs so quickly while increasing the active range of their shore batteries and bulking up their airforce. China is building a power projecting navy.