Map: Military Build-up in China & Taiwan Strait (1958)

Properties

description

This image is a detailed military map dated August 29, 1958, illustrating the troop strengths and air force deployments of both Communist and Nationalist forces across southeastern China, Taiwan, and the surrounding islands during the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis. The map, extracted from [Page 7](arke:01KK2FTPKP41W9R3EJXAY0S6XD) of the [CIA Test - March 6](arke:01KK2FMPQS3KX59D7G345X3DZD) collection, provides a snapshot of the military situation. The map includes a legend identifying symbols for: * **Air Build-up:** Represented by a thick arrow indicating significant air concentration. * **Troop Strength:** Numbers in thousands for both Communist and Nationalist forces. * **Selected Major Airfields:** Marked with black squares. * **Aircraft Types:** Piston fighters, jet fighters, piston light bombers, jet light bombers, and ground-attack aircraft. Key details from the map include: * **Communist Troop Strengths on Mainland China:** Significant concentrations are noted, including 568,000 troops in the central region, 80,000 near Amoy (Xiamen), 86,000 near Quemoy Islands, 48,000 near Foochow (Fuzhou), and 23,000 near Matsu Islands. * **Nationalist Troop Strengths:** 331,000 troops on Taiwan and 16,000 on the Pescadores Islands. * **Airfield Deployments:** Numerous airfields along the Chinese coast, from Shanghai south to Canton (Guangzhou), are marked with various aircraft types, indicating a substantial Communist air presence. An arrow highlights a major air build-up extending from inland China towards the Taiwan Strait, particularly in the vicinity of the offshore islands. The map's geographic coverage spans from Hankow (Wuhan) and Nanking (Nanjing) in the north to Hainan Island in the south, encompassing the East China Sea, South China Sea, and the Taiwan Strait, with specific focus on cities like Shanghai, Hangchow (Hangzhou), Ningpo (Ningbo), Wenchow (Wenzhou), Foochow (Fuzhou), Amoy (Xiamen), Swatow (Shantou), and Canton (Guangzhou), as well as Hong Kong and Macao.

description_generated_at

2026-03-06T21:11:34.348Z

description_model

gemini-2.5-flash

extracted_at

2026-03-06T21:11:15.115Z

extraction_source

ocr

source_bbox

x1

469

x2

2426

y1

409

y2

2590

source_file_key

v1

source_image_ref

img-0.jpeg

title

Map of Military Build-up in China and Taiwan Strait (August 29, 1958)