"Under escort in the Taiwan Strait": China prepares to control the passage of the British AUG with the help of Varshavyanka submarines
The British aircraft carrier strike group continues to be in the South China Sea and prepares to pass through the Taiwan Strait. The movements of the AUG, led by the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, of the Royal British Navy, which also includes one of the Dutch frigates (Evertsen), is closely watched in China. Considering that Taiwan is considered its territory in Beijing, any appearance of foreign warships in the area of the island is perceived by China as an encroachment on the country's sovereignty. Britain has repeatedly stated that it considers Taiwan an independent state, and the Taiwan Strait - international waters with the possibility of free navigation, including military.
Against this background, American intelligence is announcing the appearance in the waters of the Taiwan Strait of "many" submarines of the PLA Navy (People's Liberation Army of China).
For reference: the length of the strait is about 400 km, the smallest width is about 130 km. The smallest fairway depth is 59 m, the greatest is more than 1770 m.
It is reported that Type 039 submarines ("Sun") with a displacement of about 3,5 thousand tons, capable of mining a certain water area, have been sent to the Taiwan Strait. Also, according to American reports, there are up to 3 Russian-built submarines in the deep-water part of the strait. This is "Varshavyanka" or, in the Chinese version, "Ling San Liu" - "Yuan Zheng".
It is noted that China "can use the low-noise" Varshavyanka "in order to" totally control "the passage of the British AUG of the Taiwan Strait. At the same time, it is important for China that if this passage took place, then only on Chinese terms, with full control by the ships (surface and submarine) of the PLA Navy.
In this regard, experts suggest that the "unacceptable" parts of the water area may simply be mined with a subsequent warning that "it is unsafe there." In this case, the British aircraft carrier with other ships will be forced to go exclusively along the "line" that the Chinese Navy will draw for it - "under escort" of Chinese ships. In this case, "escorting" can be carried out both in different areas and throughout the entire strait - with the transfer of responsibility from some surface ships and submarines to others.
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