China launched a new helicopter carrier, developed a marines to show its strength and increase its competitiveness with the United States.

China began to reform its military in the mid-1990s with the main priority of stopping the United States from afar by turning the waters around China into a "death trap" thanks to its regional anti-access / anti-penetration strategy (A2

China has launched its first Type-075 helicopter carrier and is building a second, serving as a spearhead for an expeditionary force similar to the US Marine Corps.

Chinese state media quoted military experts as saying that its shipyard is building and launching landing ships very quickly and easily.

US-China military competition is becoming more and more fierce.

Over the past two decades, China has deployed vast numbers of missiles, submarines and surface battleships to prevent opponents from reaching coastal waters.

The PLA Marine Corps is enlarged while the Type-075 helicopter carriers were built.

"Any army without amphibious forces will be limited in location and how to deploy the war," former US Marine Colonel Grant Newsham said.

The Ministry of Defense of China and the Pentagon did not comment on the information.

The marines play an important role in Chinese officials' efforts to introduce "increasingly powerful" PLA forces.

Chinese media regularly report on arduous drills and combat skills of Giao Long task forces, a unit of the Marine special task force brigade stationed on Hainan Island.

"We will be the tip of the sword stabbing into the hearts of the enemy in joint combat operations," commander of the special task force Giao Long Gong Kaifeng said.

Structure of Type-075 Chinese aircraft carrier.

Experts say China can combine Type-075-class helicopters with amphibious ships and other new support when they enter service.

These fleets also allow the PLA to participate in disaster relief and humanitarian assistance to compete with the US in its efforts to build credibility and soft power.

The new amphibious forces also contribute to the PLA's ability to deploy troops to Taiwan or key strategic offshore areas in the event of a conflict, experts of amphibious warfare say.

China considers Taiwan to be a province awaiting unification.

In his speech earlier this year, Xi said that the issue of unification of Taiwan cannot be delayed indefinitely.

China this year promotes military operations and exercises around the island of Taiwan.

Taiwan's National Defense Force said it had a week of Chinese military aircraft approaching the island eight times, forcing them to fight fighters and reconnaissance planes.

Taiwan held Han Quang defense drill on July 13-17, with the participation of forces at sea, on land and in the air.

"Our forces are always doing their best to prepare for the war situation, closely monitor PLA operations and the situation of the strait," the Taiwan defense agency said in a statement.

Experts said the PLA had trained and equipped combat units to deploy the campaign against Taiwan.

These trade interests could increase many times as Beijing pushes the Belt and Road Initiative, an ambitious effort to make China the center of global trade routes.

Marines are considered an important force with the network of strategic military bases that China deploys around the world.

Experts say China can use amphibious forces as a diplomatic or influential tool.

U.S. expeditionary fleets carrying marines with heavy equipment and air support units present at foreign ports are considered a reminder of the country's strength.

In 1999, a peacekeeping force led by Australis intervened to prevent violence in East Timor, then controlled by Indonesia.

The first two Type-075 Chinese aircraft carriers are currently anchored at the Shanghai shipyard for completion.

However, the incident of USS Bonhomme Richard's ship fire on July 12 was a blow to the US Navy's efforts to contain challenges from China.

China has built six Type-071 amphibious ships since 2015, according to a report by the United States Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) last year.

Chinese media reported that the Type-071 amphibious vessel had a displacement of 29,000 tons, acting as a command and control center, a medical center and hundreds of marines.

To build the operational team of these ships, China has rapidly increased the size of its navy since 2017, according to a Pentagon report.

China established its first marine regiment in 1953 and expanded to division, but the unit was dissolved in 1957. China re-established the marines in 1979.

DIA said China's marines include seven brigades of armored units, infantry, artillery and missiles.

Chinese media reported that PLA units were being recruited to join the marines in order to enhance their combat capabilities.

The Pentagon's 2018 report stated that a Chinese naval command was established, responsible for staffing, training and equipping expeditionary forces.

However, military experts say that despite the years of construction efforts, the capacity of Chinese marines is still much lower than that of the US Marines, 186,000 expeditionary army.

The Pentagon says most Chinese Marine brigades do not have enough manpower and equipment to operate fully.

Some experts believe that the reason for the PLA's first priority when planning to attack the island of Taiwan is maritime units and paratroopers.