The Type 59 57mm anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) gun system is a Chinese copy of the Soviet S-60. It is a towed, road-mobile anti-aircraft weapon designed to engage low-speed airborne targets at short- to medium-range. If necessary, it could also be used to engage land and water surface targets. A self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery (SPAAA) variant known as Type 80 was developed by combining the Type 59 AAA with a Type 69 main battle tank (MBT) chassis. Like most armed forces around the world, the PLA is gradually introducing the mobile air defence missile system to take the place of obsolete large-calibre AAA guns in the medium-range field air defence role.

China developed the Type 59 in the early 1960s based on few examples of the S-60 AAA it obtained from the USSR. The weapon entered the PLA service in 1965 to provide short- to medium-range air defence. The weapon was deployed by the ground forces for field air defence role, and also by the anti-aircraft artillery troops in the PLA Air Force (PLAAF) to protect large cities and other high-value targets. In addition, the weapon was also exported to many third-world countries in large numbers and has seen combat in the Middle East. In Vietnam the Type 59 was the keystone of North Vietnamese low-altitude air defence.

The Type 59 is manually-operated and optically sighted to engage low-flying airborne target such as fixed wing aircraft and helicopters with speed lower than 350m/s. The weapon is mounted on a 4-wheel cartridge, which can be levelled and stabilised in the firing position. The single-barrel, recoil-operated 57mm cannon has a multi-perforated muzzle brake and a gun shield, and is fed by a horizontal tray which holds the 4-round clips. Unlike the S-60, the Type 59 is fitted with an electrical tripper, enabling multiple guns to be fired simultaneously by a single remote control.

Later production variants of the Type 59 featured a number of improvements including an autoloader which increases the rate of fire from 50~60 rounds/min to 100~120 rounds/min; electric-driven gun operation; and safety device which locks the gun at certain elevation and horizontal angles. In addition to the E-18 on-carriage optical fire control, the Type 59 also employs off-carriage fire control with the Type 6 director and the Miao-9 target searching radar.

Experience in the Vietnam War shows that the weapon is particularly effective against flow-flying target at altitudes between 450m and 1,500m. When used in groups, the weapon could provide not only intensive anti-aircraft fire power, but also violent psychological effects on aviation crews to reduce their effectiveness. The PLA has also been studying the use of AAA in intercepting low-flying cruise missiles, though the effectiveness of such operation is unknown.