Changing Taiwan ocean conditions could affect PLA’s submarines
- Chinese military scientists have spent over a decade studying the condition of the Kuroshio Current, or black stream, off the island’s east coast
- Recent changes to ocean temperatures will have an impact on the stream, which could prove a key battlefield in the event of a mainland invasion
The Chinese military has been warned that changes to the currents and temperatures off Taiwan’s east coast mean it will have to adapt its submarine warfare plans in the event of an invasion.
A recent report posted on the South China Sea Wave, an anonymous social media account dedicated to military analysis, said the changes to the conditions in the Kuroshio Current – also known as the black stream – could hamper any attempted invasion by mainland China, but also offered new attacking opportunities.
The eastern side of the island is harder to attack from the mainland and is the site of many major Taiwanese military bases – making it key to the PLA’s invasion plans.
China regards the island as a breakaway province and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under Beijing’s control. In recent years the PLA has stepped up its activity in the skies and waters around Taiwan, including more exercises along its east coast, as part of its efforts to step up the pressure.
The Kuroshio Current is a warm ocean current that originates off the Philippine island of Luzon and flows towards mainland Japan in a similar fashion to the Atlantic Gulf Stream.