Type 59
Origin China
Main Gun 100mm
Secondary Gun 7.62mm MG 12.7mm MG (AA)
Crew 4
Weight 36.000 Kg
Speed 50 km/h
Range 440 km

The Chinese Type 59 tank is a Russian T-54 built under license. See T-54 for further details. It is built in a number of different local produced variants.

Variants:  
Type 59-105mm L7 fitted with a 105mm L7 gun from BAE Systems.   Type 59-120mm fitted with a powerful 120mm smoothbore gun.
Type 59-I A few minor improvements; notably a new hydraulic hatch and a more simplified fire-control system.
Type 59-II Fitted with a 105mm rifled tank gun which can fire a number of different modern projectiles. A new fire-control system and a new 580 hp diesel engine was also installed.

Type 62
Origin China
Main Gun 85mm
Secondary Gun 7.62mm MG 12.7mm MG (AA)
Crew 4
Weight 21.000 Kg
Speed 50 km/h
Range 440 km

The light-weight Type 62 is a scaled-down version of the Type 59, and the two share many similar features. It has a four-man crew with the driver at the front of the hull on the left and the other three crew members in the turret. The Type 62 tank armour is obsolete by modern standards, and vulnerable to advanced anti-tank munitions. Type 62 tanks have been exported to and have been used in Albania , Congo , Mali , North Korea , Sudan , Tanzania and Zaire .

Type 63
Origin China
Main Gun 85mm
Secondary Gun 7.62mm MG 12.7mm MG (AA)
Crew 4
Weight 39.000 Kg
Speed 50 km/h
Range 440 km

The Type 63 Light Amphibious Tank design is based on mounting a local produced turret on a Chinese copy of the hull of the Soviet PT-76 Light Amphibious Tank. The hull is similar the PT-76 apart from a nearly horizontal glacis plate and different engine grills. There are three separate vertical slot side inlets on the Type 63, in contrast to the single large inlet with inset vertical baffle plates on the PT-76. The Type 63 has a 85-mm gun. Secondary armament consists of a 12.7-mm anti-aircraft machine gun, a 7.62-mm Type 54 (Soviet M1938/46 DShKM) heavy machine gun mounted at the loader's station for anti-aircraft defence and another 7.62-mm machine gun mounted coaxially to the main armament.

Type 69
Origin China
Main Gun 100mm
Secondary Gun 7.62mm MG 7.62mm MG (AA)
Crew 4
Weight 36.700 Kg
Speed 50 km/h
Range 440 km

The Chinese Type 69 first made it's appearance in 1982. Initially it was fitted with a smoothbore gun, but after test the rifled gun showed an improved hit probability. It is built upon the Type 59 tank and offer many improvements; armament, fire-control system. It is very similar in outer appearance.

Type 79
Origin China
Main Gun 105mm
Secondary Gun 7.62mm MG 12.7mm MG (AA)
Crew 4
Weight 37.500 Kg
Speed 60 km/h
Range 310 km

The Type 79 is a modified variant Type 69-III it is, integrated with the British Marconi fire control system and a Type 83 105 mm rifled gun with a replaceable thermal sleeve. It is the last member of China 's first generation MBT with nearly 1,000 tanks delivered to the PLA.

Type 80
Origin China
Main Gun 105mm
Secondary Gun 7.62mm MG 12.7mm MG (AA)
Crew 4
Weight 38.200 Kg
Speed 60 km/h
Range 310 km

The Type 88, also known as Type 80, was first revealed in 1984. It is a typical example of using modern Western technologies to upgrade Chinese weapon systems derived from the 1950s-era Soviet designs. The Type 80 is a hybrid of the Soviet-style cast turret and western technologies including a 105 mm rifled gun, a laser rangefinder, fire-control systems, and a 730 hp turbocharged power pack. The Type 80 is slightly larger and heavier than the Type 69/79. The driver has been moved to the front left of the hull. The turret is surrounded by storage racks to provide extra protection. The 105 mm rifled gun fires standard NATO ammo (as does the Type 59-II and Type 79). A fire suppression and collective NBC defensive system is also installed as standard equipment. The general performance of the Type 80 is estimated to be comparable to the U.S. M60, British Chieftain , French AMX-30, German Leopard 1, and Japanese Type 74.

Type 85
Origin China
Main Gun 105mm
Secondary Gun 7.62mm MG 12.7mm MG (AA)
Crew 4
Weight 46.200 Kg
Speed 60 km/h
Range 310 km

The Type 85 tank is a modification of the Type 80, which was in turn based on the Soviet T-54. It has an improved turret changed from cast design to welded design. The layout of the Type-85 is conventional, like other Chinese tanks, with the driver in the front, combat compartment in the centre, and engine in the rear.

Variants:
Type 85-II is slightly heavier and shorter in length. Armament is the same as in the Type 80 except that the Type 85-II can carry 46 rounds of 105-mm ammunition while the Type 85-IIA can carry 44 rounds.
Type 85-III features a 120mm smoothbore gun capable of firing modern projectiles.
Type 85-IIM features a 120mm smoothbore gun capable of firing modern projectiles and explosive reactive armour.

Type 88
Origin China
Main Gun 105mm
Secondary Gun 7.62mm MG 12.7mm MG (AA)
Crew 4
Weight 38.200 Kg
Speed 60 km/h
Range 310 km

The Type 88 is a modified Type 80 with major overhaul. See Type 80 tank for details.

Variants:
Type 88C slightly modified version.

Type 90-II
Origin China
Main Gun 120mm
Secondary Gun 7.62mm MG 12.7mm MG (AA)
Crew 4
Weight 46.200 Kg
Speed 72 km/h
Range 450 km

During the 1970s Cold War era, the Chinese leaders believed that China was facing a potential large-scale invasion by the Soviet Union 's armour troops from the north border. It was concluded that the PLA armour troops, mainly comprising the aging Type 59 and Type 69 main battle tanks based on the 1960s-era technology, were not sufficient to resist such an invasion. It was decided that in addition to speed up the development of the second generation main battle tank (MBT), the defence industry should also begin to prepare for the third-generation MBT that is capable of challenging the Soviet T-72. China obtained several T-72 tanks from the Middle East in the late 1970s and used them as a pattern in developing its own new MBT. The original proposal was to develop an MBT based on the hull design of the T-72, and fit it with a 120 mm smoothbore gun and advanced fire control equipment.