China is deploying a large fleet of civilian cargo ships and ferries in exercises off its coast, rehearsing scenarios for a possible landing in Taiwan, according to a Reuters investigation based on satellite images and ship tracking data.
According to Reuters, in the summer of 2025, at least 12 civilian vessels — six car ferries and six deck cargo ships — took part in landing maneuvers on a beach near the town of Jieshen in Guangdong province. Satellite images captured the unloading of hundreds of military vehicles directly on the coast via ramps, without the use of port infrastructure.
Experts interviewed by the agency note that the civilian fleet could be a key element in a possible operation against Taiwan: according to current estimates, the PLA Navy and Marine Corps currently have enough of their own landing ships and boats to transport approximately 20,000 troops with equipment. The investigation indicates that the use of civilian vessels is part of a broader “shadow fleet” strategy, which allows the PRC to dramatically increase its landing and transport capabilities while simultaneously complicating the situation for the US Navy.
The investigation indicates that the use of civilian vessels is part of a broader “shadow fleet” strategy that allows the PRC to dramatically increase its landing and transport capabilities while making it more difficult for intelligence to assess the scale of preparations. According to Reuters, more than 100 civilian vessels have been tracked that are involved in military exercises or belong to companies that regularly participate in such maneuvers.
The article cites assessments by former Taiwanese Armed Forces Commander Li Shimin and other military experts who call the rehearsal of landings involving the civilian fleet a “significant step” toward the formation of real invasion plans. At the same time, Taiwanese officials point to the vulnerability of such ships to anti-ship and portable missiles and view the demonstrative exercises as part of a “cognitive war” aimed at putting psychological pressure on Taipei and its partners.
Reuters emphasizes that, despite the build-up of capabilities, it remains unclear whether the PLA is ready for a real amphibious operation across the Taiwan Strait: the scale of the invasion is difficult to conceal, and weather conditions, the island’s coastal terrain, and the potential response of the US and its allies make such a scenario extremely risky.
Reference from Experts Club: Comparison of the military capabilities of China and Taiwan (estimates for 2025)
According to open estimates (GlobalFirepower, Taiwan Ministry of Defense, budget data): Number of active military personnel
China: approximately 2.0–2.1 million (active PLA personnel).
Taiwan: nearly 230,000.
Ratio: approximately 8–9 to 1 in favor of China.
Reserves and mobilization resources
China: approximately 510,000 reservists + large paramilitary formations.
Taiwan: approximately 2.3 million reservists with a significantly smaller population, relying on mass reserves.
Air Force (general aviation)
China: about 3,300 aircraft, including about 1,200 fighters.
Taiwan: about 760 aircraft, about 280–300 fighters.
Fighter ratio: about 4–5 to 1 in favor of China.
Navy (combat ships)
China: about 750 ships and boats, including 3 aircraft carriers, dozens of destroyers and frigates, and over 60 submarines.
Taiwan: about 100 ships and boats, no aircraft carriers, with a limited number of destroyers, frigates, and submarines.
Ratio of fleet units: approximately 7–8 to 1 in favor of China, with an even more significant gap in total tonnage.
Defense budgets (2025)
China: approximately $245–270 billion per year according to official data.
Taiwan: approximately $20–21 billion (about 2.45% of GDP).
Ratio: China spends more than 10 times more on defense than Taiwan.
These figures are estimates based on open sources, but they generally reflect China’s significant quantitative advantage, while Taiwan focuses on technological saturation, defense doctrines, and alliances with the US and other partners.
Source: https://expertsclub.eu/kytaj-zadiyuye-czyvilni-sudna-v-navchannyah-po-tajvanyu-zmi/
The Ukrainian Red Cross (URC) has trained more than 387 thousand people to provide first pre-medical aid, the organization’s official Facebook page reported on Tuesday.
“We can’t prevent all emergency events, but we can make sure that people know how to act properly in the first minutes. This is what saves lives,” notes Nadezhda Yamnenko, a master trainer and head of the UCC’s first aid department.
The trainings of the Ukrainian Red Cross combine theory and practice, which forms the readiness to act decisively and professionally in any emergency. The program covers a wide range of situations – from household injuries and emergencies to the consequences of war: stopping massive bleeding, restoring breathing, responding to mine blast wounds and prolonged compression syndrome. First aid is not just a skill, but everyone’s responsibility and a chance to save a life before the medics arrive.
Schneider Electric, a leader in digital transformation in energy management and automation, has announced the launch of the third chapter of its online School of Sustainability, a free training program designed to provide partners with the tools to become leaders in sustainability.
This chapter is dedicated to teaching businesses how to decarbonize and leverage the benefits of sustainability through electrification and digitalization. According to research, companies that fail to adapt to climate risks could lose up to 7% of their annual profits by 2035, underscoring the urgency of corporate climate action. The third section directly addresses this challenge by offering practical insights to help organizations remain resilient and profitable in a rapidly changing world.
The School of Sustainability, first launched to an external audience in 2023, offers interactive courses aimed at improving companies’ sustainability performance. The program consists of three parts and responds to the growing need for accessible, applied learning on key sustainability topics. Sections 1 and 2, which are already available, cover the basics of sustainability and the steps for building and implementing a decarbonization strategy.
Section 3 focuses on how companies can implement decarbonization through energy efficiency improvements, carbon footprint reduction, and leveraging the strategic advantages of sustainable development.
It presents individual roadmaps for key industries, including:
This section introduces practical tools and solutions that make sustainable transformation real and profitable for both businesses and their customers. It is a starting point for improving the efficiency of companies and turning sustainable development into a competitive advantage.
“I am proud to launch the new section of our School of Sustainable Development — it is an important step that brings everything together into a single, coherent system. As part of our ongoing support for partners and customers on their path to sustainability, this section will provide them with the tools and knowledge to implement sustainable development principles in their organizations and for their customers,” said Soroush Heradmand, Head of Partner Sustainability at Schneider Electric.
“As the world becomes increasingly digital and electrified, our partner ecosystem is uniquely positioned to address today’s energy challenges,” added Frederic Godemelle, Executive Vice President of Energy Management at Schneider Electric. “Every business, regardless of size, plays an important role in the energy transition. We strive to help them turn sustainability into a competitive advantage by combining environmental and economic benefits for success in a rapidly changing world.”
About Schneider Electric
Schneider’s goal is to create impact by empowering everyone to make the most of our energy and resources, enabling progress and sustainability for all. We call this Life Is On.
Our mission is to be a trusted partner in sustainability and efficiency.
We are a global leader in industrial technology, bringing global expertise in electrification, automation, and digitalization to smart industries, reliable infrastructure, future-ready data centers, intelligent buildings, and intuitive homes. Leveraging our deep industry expertise, we provide integrated, end-to-end industrial IoT solutions powered by artificial intelligence with connected products, automation, software, and services, creating digital twins to deliver profitable growth for our customers.
Our company’s main resource is our 150,000 employees and over a million partners working in more than 100 countries around the world to ensure proximity to our customers and stakeholders. We support diversity and inclusion in everything we do, guided by our meaningful goal of a sustainable future for all.
Discover the latest insights shaping sustainability, Energy 4.0, and next-generation automation at Schneider Electric Insights.
On September 26, 2024, a meeting was held at the Kyiv City Employment Center where veteran Danylo Honcharenko was presented with a voucher for studying at the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine. Thanks to this voucher, he will be able to study in the specialty 017 “Physical Culture and Sports”, educational and professional program “Physical Culture and Sports Rehabilitation” to become a physical and sports rehabilitation specialist.
Danylo Goncharenko, who served his country faithfully, chose this specialty to help and rehabilitate his fellow soldiers in the future. “While undergoing rehabilitation at the Training and Rehabilitation Center of the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine, I realized how important it is to help my comrades and convey the importance of lifelong health maintenance. My goal is to use the knowledge I have gained to support those who have gone through the hardships of war. I want to help my comrades return to a full life,” he said during the presentation.
An educationvoucher is a standardized document that allows you to pay for education in a certain specialty in higher or vocational education institutions. The voucher is used for retraining in blue-collar professions, training in specialties for a master’s degree, as well as training at the next level of education, specialization and advanced training in professions and specialties in accordance with priority economic activities. A person independently chooses a profession or specialty from the approved list, as well as the form and place of study.
Representatives of the Kyiv City Employment Center emphasized the importance of supporting veterans in their adaptation to civilian life. Tuition vouchers enable former military personnel to acquire in-demand professional skills and successfully integrate into society.
The National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine offers modern educational programs that meet international standards. Specialty 017 “Physical Culture and Sports”, educational and professional program “Physical Culture and Sports Rehabilitation ” trains specialists capable of working effectively in the field of rehabilitation and physical health.
HONCHARENKO, rehabilitation specialist, TRAINING, voucher, ветеран
On September 1, three types of training were introduced in Ukrainian schools and universities, depending on the level of security in different regions. A total of 13,000 schools are operating in Ukraine in the new school year: 6.5 thousand of them operate in a standard format, and 3.8 thousand in a mixed format. The total number of pupils is about 4 million, with 415,000 students. At the same time, the level of danger to the educational process remains high even in the capital, as on September 21, the debris of missiles shot down over the capital damaged the educational building and dormitory of the National Academy of Statistics, Accounting and Audit.
That is why, according to the founders of the Kyiv-based training and analytical center Experts club, it is important to help teachers and professors master key first aid skills.
On Friday, September 29, at 16:00, a training seminar on “First Aid for Children in Case of Injuries and Traumas” will be held in Kyiv. The event is organized by the Experts Club think tank in cooperation with medical partner Adonis. The general partner is the Pryirpinia Community Foundation, and information support is provided by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency and the Open4business portal.
The training will be conducted by Mariana Bolyuk, a representative of the Adonis Medical Center Group, an anesthesiologist and co-author of 12 scientific publications.
To participate in the event, you need to register by sending a request to fam@experts.news. The request should contain the following information: Name of the participant, phone number, name of the educational institution.
Upon confirmation of participation, participants will be sent information about the venue of the seminar. Please note that the number of seats is limited!
EXPERTS CLUB, FIRST AID, Mariana Bolyuk, Pryirpinia Community Foundation, TRAINING, АДОНИС
Ukrainian tank crews have arrived in Great Britain for training and preparation for further participation in the war with Russia, the press service of the British defence ministry has said.
“Ukrainian tankers have arrived in the UK to prepare for further combat with Russia,” the statement reads.
It specifies that the UK will provide Ukraine with Challenger 2 tanks along with global partner countries, demonstrating the strength of Ukraine’s support internationally.
