Comments by "Doncarlo" (@doujinflip) on "China lacks assault ships for Taiwan invasion. But it has other solutions." video.

That’s assuming the PLA Navy even knows how to perform real effective damage control; China hasn’t had a credible ocean-going navy since like the Ming Dynasty. I’d imagine Beijing’s plans to use civilian ships are akin to Russian tank designs: strength only through numbers but individually not survivable in combat.
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⁠Most of those boats lack effective air defense. They’d be mere targets for cheap glide bombs, drones, and even autocannon strafing. Ask the Russians how well they conquered Ukraine through their deviance from the “Western” notion of first estabilishing air superiority.
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Especially as they lack credible air defense (along with much of the PLA “Navy”), meaning they’re sitting ducks for cheap glide bombs and suicide drones.
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USMC also has centuries of uninterrupted combat experience, along with being the poster child of the American style of fighting that only gets more aggressive when their leadership gets taken out of action.
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Taiwan would tell those ferries to turn around, or be forced to quarantine offshore under threat of getting sunk. Plus I doubt Mainlanders would try to escape towards the battlefield.
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The political status and geographic layout of the target makes known forward deployments problematic. However we did get a crash course in ramping up materiel production in the internet age, which will be fully online by next year and well ahead of any PLA mobilization.
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Not to mention how the US has tens of thousands of gravity bombs in stock right now, ready to bolt on a cheap glide kit for use against all those practically defenseless PRC-flagged boats.
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Ironically those narco subs are inspiring a project of attritable supply ships that will keep Taiwan fed and fighting.
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Now remove most of the affordable food, fuel, and ore that China has to import, and how productive will China be then?
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