China has debuted its new landing barges – what does this mean for Taiwan?

Screenshot from a social media video of a new Chinese barge system designed for efficient ship-to-shore transfer of supplies. Photograph: X

The short video is shot from a public beach in China’s Guangdong province, the unidentified filmer standing quietly by some fishing boats and a few tourists out for a walk.

Just to their right, a line of strange looking ships loom in the mist. The enormous ships are unmoving, raised above the waves by thick pylons. Drop-down bridges connect them to each other, the front one extending down to the sand.