Not subtle
This little chart by gilliot on X is a great example of the smart work the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is doing to get ready to play the military option in the Western Pacific in the approaches to Taiwan.
Especially if you have been involved in the Operational Planner to see what they are doing. Why? Because it is exactly what we would do in their circumstance, and in our own areas of concern, we have done the same thing.
This is the most interesting of the series.
If the PRC wants to pressure Taiwan economically, it needs to be able to threaten its undersea infrastructure as much as that on the surface. To do that, you need to locate it so you can put it in a target set.
If you need to one day defend the approaches to Taiwan, you need detailed knowledge of the seafloor topography in the approaches to Taiwan, as you do for the beaches and roads on Taiwan.
That is what she is doing.
It appears that there are still some China Doves out there, so put this in your growing stack of evidence that—regardless of how much you wish it were not true—the PRC is doing all it can for conflict over Taiwan. It may never happen, but their military wants to make sure it is ready should they be told to go.
Just like our military would for us.
If you are interested in the ship, the Jia Geng identifies itself as a seismic research vessel. It has a submersible and I am sure all the fancy goodies that come with that mission.
Here she in from back in July. The ship has TAN KAH KEE on the side, but multiple sources say it is the Jia Geng.
