A leaked picture of two fearsome Chinese tanks has sparked speculation that China is developing new military vehicles.
State media China.com reported that the vehicle at the front is thought to be the new heavy infantry tank while the yellow vehicle could be the second-generation paratrooper fighting vehicle.
The news came after tension had risen between China and the United States over the issues on the sovereignty of Taiwan and the control of the South China Sea.
The picture is said to have been taken in front of the staff canteen of a military manufacturing company in China.
The infantry tank is armoured with 40mm Cased Telescoped Ammunition, according to the China.com report which was published on February 21.
Chinese news website Sina suggested that the heavy infantry tank, thought to be a prototype, could be used to ‘work with China’s main light tank on the battlefield’ because the two vehicles seem to have the same chassis.
The same report added the infantry tank’s fire-control system could be similar to or even more powerful than that of the 40mm Cased Telescoped Ammunition fighting vehicle. The vehicle is said to be displayed during the Zhuhai Airshow last November.
It’s unclear who took the picture, however it had reportedly been uploaded onto Chao Ji Da Ben Ying, a popular Chinese military forum.
According to a new post on the forum, the original post has been taken down.
Tension has risen between China and the United States since US President Donald Trump took office.
The White House has warned China it will ‘defend’ US and international ‘interests’ in the South China Sea and that trade must be a ‘two-way street’.
Signaling Donald Trump’s tough stance against Beijing, spokesman Sean Spicer said on January 23 that ‘the US is going to make sure we protect our interests’ in the South China Sea.
‘If those islands are, in fact, in international waters and not part of China proper, yeah, we’ll make sure we defend international interests from being taken over by one country.’
China lays claim to a vast extent of the South China Sea within a so-called ‘nine dash line,’ including waters claimed by several of its neighbors.
In addition, the historic Taiwan issue has also become a ticking time bomb.
Shortly after his November victory, Trump spoke by phone to Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen, breaking decades of US protocol.
He rubbed salt in Beijing’s wounds by tweeting about the call, a move that riled Chinese nationalists.
In response, Beijing issued a formal protest to Washington then followed up with a statement warning of a deterioration of Sino-US relations.
Many Chinese newspaper editorials called for reinforcement of the country’s military arsenal to prepare for possible conflict.
However, President Trump endorsed the long-standing ‘One China’ policy on February 9 during a phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, a move analysts interpreted as a change of course for the mercurial leader.
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