This is CBS. I on the world. I'm John Batchel. Taiwan, threatened by the People's Republic of China,

Xi Jinping in particular. And this headline in the Financial Times, China building new mobile peers

that could help possible Taiwan invasion. Subhead, satellite images reveal

barge-like vessels that could help transport tanks and artillery over coastal mudflats.

Gordon Chang at Gordon-Chi Chang is my colleague and co-host, and we very much welcome Stephen Yates of the Heritage Foundation

to help us understand mud flats, Taiwan invasion, and the FTs remark that Taiwan's coastline

is some of the most forbidding to land on on the planet Earth.

Steve, a very good evening to you.

It would appear that the PLA in some form has caught up with the idea that to invade Taiwan,

they've got to land on a beach that doesn't exactly welcome them.

Is this significant news or China just playing catch-up with military history? Good evening to you.

Well, thank you, John. It is at least a significant chapter in China's cognitive warfare

in the pressuring with the people of Taiwan, the United States, and allies about China's

preparations. It accentuates the fact that they're moving ahead,

producing new forms of capabilities, whereas the United States and allies are behind the curve

financially and manufacturing-wise on keeping up with those capabilities. The FT article is correct

that a lot of the topography of Taiwan is prohibitive for landing,

especially on the Pacific Ocean side of the island. But this is also cognitive warfare to make

the people of China believe that the People's Liberation Army has developed significant capabilities and takes

this seriously and has a plan to do things. Whether they do or they do not is not really

part of their equation at the moment. This is, I think, shaping the minds of the people in China,

but more importantly trying to provoke the world into continuing to buy the

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