Type 98

The Type 98, also associated with Project 9910 and WZ-123, was China's breakthrough third-generation main battle tank program before the Type 99 designation became dominant. GlobalSecurity notes that the Type 98 appeared publicly during the 1 October 1999 parade for the 50th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. The vehicle represented a sharp move beyond earlier Type 80 and Type 85 lines, with greater emphasis on firepower, protection, mobility, and advanced systems. Its most important historical role was as the immediate predecessor and developmental basis for the Type 99/ZTZ-99 family.

The Type 98 is generally described as a 125 mm armed main battle tank with stronger protection and more advanced systems than earlier Chinese MBTs. Public discussions connect it to the Type 99 lineage, including a domestic Type 90-II derivative path, improved fire control, composite armor, and high mobility for a heavy Chinese tank. Some reports discuss electro-optical or laser-related systems, but exact capabilities should be treated cautiously. The technical importance is clear even without overclaiming: Type 98 moved Chinese MBT design into a modern third-generation architecture that could be iterated into Type 99 variants.

Operationally, the Type 98 appears to have been fielded in limited numbers or as a transitional batch, with later Type 99 versions taking the main role in elite PLA armored units. Its appearance at the 1999 parade was strategically symbolic: China was showing a domestically developed modern MBT that could compete more seriously with contemporary foreign tanks. The system's legacy is therefore developmental and doctrinal. On HiWars, the page should present Type 98 as a pathfinder for high-end Chinese armor rather than implying that it became the most numerous Chinese tank.