To accompany its new aircraft carriers and destroyers, China is acquiring a fleet of heavy support ships that will enable naval and amphibious assault operations around the world. Rounding out China's heavy sea lift operation is the Guang Hua Kou, which was launched at the Guangdong Shipyard International (also builder to many other Chinese naval supply and logistic ships) on April 28, 2020. Built for COSCO Heavy Transport, a state owned shipping line, the 98,000 ton Guang Hua Kou is one of the largest heavy lift semi-submersible ship in the world. While owned by a civilian company, albeit state owned, the Guang Hua Kou is almost certainly available to the PLAN for peacetime and wartime usage.
The Guang Hua Kou's deck area measures 211.2 meters by 68 meters It can also submerge its deck to 16 meters underwater. This enormous logistic capability will allow China to transport maritime infrastructure to anywhere in the world, and deploy items like floating docks and offshore platforms by flooding its ballast tanks to lower its deck area underwater. It could be used for humanitarian response, deep sea drilling and mining, or building floating offshore military bases for global expeditionary campaigns.
Guang Hua Kou's large size means it would be large enough to even accommodate outsized cargo such as a guided missile destroyer like the Type 055 or 052D. This means that it would be suited for carrying away surface warships that have lost power great distance from home port (the USS Cole, for example, was lifted back to the United States by the MV Blue Marlin heavy lift semi-submersible after being damaged in a 2000 attack). Similar to the smaller Chinese "H1183" and USN Expeditionary Transfer Dock heavy lift ships, the Guang Hua Kou could also be used in a more aggressive manner, able to carry large hovercraft, landing craft and helicopters to support amphibious operations. After dedicated amphibious warships land the first wave of troops, the Guang Hua Kou could maneuver into position and rapidly disembark a second wave of Chinese marines and amphibious tanks.
China's rising technological and financial might has resulted in the development of large and world class assets that extend its reach globally. Whether in the maritime domain as seen in the Guang Hua Kou and South China Sea artificial islands, space launch in the Long March 5 heavy rocket, or the largest nuclear reactor construction program in human history, Beijing has launched a series of projects that will enhance both its civilian as well as military prowess.
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