Why are 7 large mainland Chinese ro-ro cargo ships sailing in the Taiwan Strait?
Civilian fleet spotted deviating from normal routes suggests joint amphibious landing exercise with PLA is in the works amid Taiwan tensions
The seven ro-ro, or “roll-on/roll-off” ships, with the Yantai-based Bohai Ferry Company in Shandong province, deviated from their normal shipping routes in the Bohai Sea, according to Maritime Optima, a live ship tracker.
As of Thursday, two of them – the Bohai Zuanzhu and Zhong Hua Fu Xing – had docked at the port of Quanzhou in the strait-facing Fujian province, while the remaining five were still in the waters near Quanzhou.
The Bohai Zuanzhu is Asia’s largest ro-ro passenger ship by tonnage and capacity, and can carry special vehicles that are extra-long, extra-wide and extra-high.
Compared to the PLA’s Type 075 amphibious assault ship, which can carry helicopters, tanks, and infantry fighting vehicles and has a displacement of 40,000 tonnes, Bohai Zuanzhu’s displacement is 35,000 tonnes.