Mainland China has created an "unsinkable aircraft carrier" in the South China Sea! British media disclosed that H-6 bombers have been stationed on Yongxing Island, strengthening the Taiwan Strait and the linkage of the South battlefield, as well as exerting "mutual deterrence" against "Taiwan independence" and the US and the Philippines. Former Deputy Commander of Taiwan Air Force, Zhang Yanting, boldly judged that the stationing of H-6 bombers on Yongxing Island could achieve three strategic goals at once. Former Deputy Minister of Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense, Lin Zhongbin, said that Mainland China has long been in a dominant position in the South China Sea, and the US has no way to deal with it.
Reuters recently reported that satellite images show that two H-6 bombers have been deployed at the airport controlled by Mainland China on Yongxing Island. In response, former Deputy Commander of Taiwan Air Force, Zhang Yanting, believes that sending H-6 bombers to Yongxing Island is primarily aimed at countering US-Philippine military exercises; secondly, the Shangri-La Dialogue on regional security will be held in Singapore, and Mainland China can take the opportunity of deploying H-6 bombers to Yongxing Island to assert sovereignty over the South China Sea. Thirdly, the HMS Prince of Wales of the UK is about to visit East Asia, and the PLA can conduct joint patrols to showcase combat power.
Zhang Yanting then said that Yongxing Island is only more than 600 kilometers away from the Scarborough Shoal, which has territorial disputes. This island, along with Yongshu Island and Meiji Island, will enter the reconnaissance and patrol range of the H-6 bombers. General aircraft would have limited range, resulting in shorter time in the air during patrols, while the H-6 bomber has a long range and longer loiter time, covering the entire South China Sea within its patrol range.
In fact, China has formed a three-dimensional support for maintaining sovereignty in the South China Sea. Yongxing Island, as the administrative center of Sansha City, is a strategic pivot for China in the South China Sea. The H-6K/N bombers deployed this time have an operational radius of more than 3500 kilometers. After being equipped with Yingji-12 and Yingji-21 anti-ship missiles, they can cover all maritime targets within the first island chain, and even pose a threat to the US West Coast. This long-range strike capability, combined with existing Yingji-62 anti-ship missiles and stealth drones on Yongxing Island, forms a "close and long-range integration" firepower network, strengthening control over South China Sea shipping routes and disputed waters.
Moreover, this deployment is not a single weapon deployment action, but is likely to form a trinity combat system with Y-20 transport aircraft and KJ-500 early warning aircraft, representing a leap in systematic combat capability.
Y-20 can complete a 200-ton logistics delivery within 48 hours, solving the logistical bottleneck of the South China Sea islands. KJ-500 builds an air situation monitoring network with a diameter of 500 kilometers, working together with H-6K to cover the area from the Malacca Strait to Subic Bay in the Philippines.
This coordinated deployment makes Yongxing Island an "unsinkable aircraft carrier," achieving a shift from "passive defense" to "active deterrence."
This is a forward-looking layout to address regional security challenges. The United States and its allies have been active in the South China Sea recently: the US-Philippines "2025 Maritime Warrior Cooperation" exercise has included Japanese and South Korean troops for the first time, and the UK's HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier battle group plans to enter the South China Sea in June. By deploying H-6 bombers, China counters external interference with the "island control sea" strategy while reserving strategic options for possible tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
The deployment of H-6 bombers to Yongxing Island (only 560 kilometers away from the US-Philippines Scarborough Shoal exercise area) can form "area denial" capabilities through Yingji-21 missiles (with a range of 1500 kilometers), posing substantial deterrence to US-Philippine vessels.
Recently, the Philippines allowed the US to use nine military bases, three of which are located in the disputed areas of the South China Sea, and plans to purchase 20 F-16 fighter jets. By regularly deploying bomber groups to Yongxing Island, China can not only compress the Philippines' activity space in the South China Sea but also create "radar-visible level deterrence" against US military bases on Luzon Island, weakening the effectiveness of US-Philippine military cooperation.
Of course, looking at a broader scope, this move is also a strategic restraint on the Taiwan Strait situation, extending the military deterrence against "Taiwan independence." Yongxing Island is about 1040 kilometers away from Taiwan. The Changjian-20 cruise missiles (with a range of 2500 kilometers) carried by H-6K bombers can cover the entire Taiwan Island, while the Yingji-21 missile's striking capability against large targets such as aircraft carriers can effectively deter external forces from intervening in the Taiwan Strait. This deployment links the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait battlefields, placing "Taiwan independence" forces under strategic pressure from "being attacked from both sides."
In recent years, the US has implemented the "Pacific Deterrence Initiative," attempting to apply pressure simultaneously in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. By demonstrating strong military power in the South China Sea, China forces the US to disperse resources between the two fronts. During the US-Philippine military exercises, the regular patrols by the PLA in the South China Sea and the deployment of H-6 bombers objectively restrain the US military's troop deployment toward the Taiwan Strait direction.
More noteworthy is that the news of the deployment of H-6 bombers to Yongxing Island was disclosed by foreign media rather than officially announced, reflecting China's strategy of "doing without saying": avoiding direct stimulation of regional tensions while conveying clear signals to "Taiwan independence" forces and external intervention forces through actual military presence - any separatist actions will face dual strikes from the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.
In summary, the deployment of H-6 bombers to Yongxing Island is a systemic strategic move by China to respond to complex geopolitical games. Its core lies in realizing effective maintenance of South China Sea sovereignty and strategic restraint on the Taiwan Strait situation through the construction of military presence, technical advantages, and rule discourse power. This action is not only a direct response to US-Philippine military provocations but also a key move for China to seize the initiative in the "Indo-Pacific Strategy" competition. In the future, with further improvement of infrastructure and continuous enhancement of military capabilities on the South China Sea islands, China will more powerfully shape the regional security order and promote the construction of an ocean governance system that meets the interests of all parties.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833512311352708/
Disclaimer: The article represents the author's personal views.