China has debuted its new landing barges – what does this mean for Taiwan?

The short video is shot from a public beach in China's Guangdong province, the unidentified filmer standing quietly by some fishing boats and a few tourists out for a walk. Just to their right, a line of strange looking ships loom in the mist. The enormous ships are unmoving, raised above the waves by thick pylons. Drop-down bridges connect them to each other, the front one extending down to the sand. The original video reportedly disappeared from WeChat shortly after it was uploaded, but copies circulated widely among watchers of China-Taiwan hostilities. The 19-second clip was their first clear look…