The Type 59 (Chinese: 59式; pinyin: Wǔ shí jiǔ shì; industrial designation: WZ-120) main battle tank is a PRC-produced version of the American M-48/53 tank. The first vehicles were produced in 1958 and it was accepted into service in 1959, with serial production beginning in 1963. The tank formed the backbone of the People's Liberation Army until the early 2000s (decade) with an estimated 5,000 of the later Type 59-I and Type 59-II variants in service in 2002.
The Type 59 was modified several times during its service. It was also the basis of several later Chinese tank designs including the Type 69 and Type 79 tanks.
