Satellite imagery has revealed that China has expanded its nuclear weapons facilities across seven new locations, according to an investigation by the Daily Telegraph. The expansion includes one site with an entire town and a bus depot built to support testing. Collectively, this represents the largest growth of China's nuclear projects under President Xi Jinping.
The news has raised concerns among experts about China's intentions, particularly regarding its territorial claims over Taiwan. Dr John Hemmings, Director of the National Security Centre at the Henry Jackson Society, told the Express: "The expansion of China’s nuclear force is not just important to the future of US-China relations and the future of Taiwan. It’s important to European countries that are faced with a war of aggression here in Europe led by China’s closest ally, Russia. China’s enhanced nuclear posture strengthens the authoritarian powers."
Expert Analysis on China's Nuclear Modernization
Robert Jordan, Director of Proliferation and Nuclear Policy at RUSI, said: "The pace of development of nuclear warhead research, fabrication and assurance demonstrated in this reporting is consistent with the rapid pace of modernisation of the wider elements of China’s nuclear weapons capabilities. This includes the expansion in numbers of missile silos and mobile launchers for its land-based deterrent, the development of a new generation of submarines that are much stealthier than their predecessors and will carry longer-ranged ballistic missiles, and the likely imminent adoption into service of a long-range, low-observable bomber."
Experts believe that China is seeking to ensure that nuclear weapon "delivery platforms" – the means by which weapons are fired or launched – can survive an attack, and therefore be able to retaliate. Mr Jordan added: "The construction of infrastructure for the possible testing of the ability of warheads and/or missiles to attempt to intercept them or otherwise reduce their effectiveness shows an aspect of China’s medium-term aspirations for its nuclear weapons. Even at a drastically accelerated pace of development it would take China many years to approach parity in numbers of warheads with the US – and many more years to reach parity with Russia – but if China is confident it has a broad suite of nuclear options and confident in their ability to hit fast, accurately and without interference, parity in absolute numbers may not even be China’s long-term goal."
China's Ties with Russia and Taiwan Drills
China remains a close ally of Putin's Russia, and has carried out large-scale drills seen by international observers as preparations for a potential invasion of Taiwan. Despite calling for an end to the use of nuclear weapons, President Xi Jinping has overseen this significant expansion of China's nuclear infrastructure.
