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September 11, 2002
   
China has mounted flotation devices on it's Type 89 SP Howitzer. These would likely be used for river crossings, although they could be used if the vehicle were winched over the side of a cargo ship close to shore. China does not have enough amphibious shipping to land a large force on Taiwan, and modifications like this could be one way of getting around that shortcoming. The Type-89 self-propelled 122mm howitzer is a Russian D-30 122 mm howitzer mounted on a chassis based on the BTR-50 Armored Personnel Carrier. China has several hundred of these. This weapon is particularly valuable to the Chinese, as it fires a new laser guided artillery round being manufactured by the Chinese.