A confidential report from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), revealed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), indicates that China is rapidly expanding its commercial ferry fleet and converting some large ferries to carry tanks, incorporating them into People’s Liberation Army (PLA) training as potential amphibious warfare assets.
The report shows that since 2022, Five Eyes Alliance has monitored around 30 Chinese commercial ferries participating in military exercises. China plans to build over 70 similar vessels by 2026. Recent satellite imagery also reveals that these ferries are being integrated with new landing pontoons, enabling direct transport of personnel and vehicles onto beaches.
Taiwan’s representative to Australia, Hsu Yu-Tein, confirmed that these ferries are seen as part of China’s “expansionist ambitions,” with Beijing simultaneously employing “gray-zone tactics,” including cyberattacks and dual-use measures, to weaken Taiwan’s defenses.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in the U.S. estimates that China is constructing 76 large ferries, some controlled by state-owned enterprises, and reinforcing them under the “civil-military integration” strategy to adapt for military use.
Washington intelligence sources widely believe that Chinese leader Xi Jinping has ordered the PLA to achieve the capability to invade Taiwan by 2027, with large-scale cross-sea landings remaining one of the greatest operational challenges.