Because the Type 56 was unable to penetrate the armour of the new generation Soviet tanks such as the T-62, the PLA desperately needed a new individual anti-tank weapon to replace the aging Type 56.
bɪkˈʌz ðə tˈaɪp fˈɪfti sˈɪks wʌz ʌnˈeɪbəl tə pˈɛnɪtɹˌeɪt ðɪ ˈɑːɹmɚɹ ʌvðə nˈuː dʒˌɛnɚɹˈeɪʃən sˈoʊviət tˈæŋks sˈʌtʃ ɐz ðə tˈiː sˈɪksti tˈuː, ðə pˌiːˌɛlˈeɪ dˈɛspɚɹətli nˈiːdᵻd ɐ nˈuː ˌɪndᵻvˈɪdʒuːəl ˈæntaɪtˈæŋk wˈɛpən tə ɹᵻplˈeɪs ðɪ ˈeɪdʒɪŋ tˈaɪp fˈɪfti sˈɪks.