China is expanding its network of nuclear facilities in mountainous areas: satellite images

In China, construction and modernization of nuclear facilities have been recorded in the mountainous regions of Sichuan province. Satellite images indicate an acceleration in the development of related infrastructure in recent years.

This is reported by The New York Times .

The journalists analyzed satellite images and expert assessments by geospatial intelligence specialists, who believe that the recorded changes may indicate the buildup of China’s nuclear capabilities. According to experts, the pace of changes at the facilities has accelerated in recent years.

“There is evolution at all these sites, but overall the changes have accelerated noticeably since 2019,” said expert Rennie Babiartz.

According to journalists, one of the sites is located in the Zitung Valley, where engineers have built new bunkers and protective ramparts. Satellite images show a complex with numerous pipelines, which may indicate work with hazardous materials.

Another facility is located in the Pingtung district. Experts estimate that it may be used to produce metal cores for nuclear warheads using plutonium. The main building of the complex has been modernized with ventilation holes and heat removal systems, and additional construction is underway nearby. A slogan by leader Xi Jinping is displayed above the entrance to the complex.

According to the Pentagon, as of the end of 2024, China had over 600 nuclear warheads, and by 2030 their number could increase to 1,000. Former US State Department official Matthew Sharp noted that without international dialogue it is difficult to predict the development of the situation.

“Without real dialogue on these topics, it’s hard to tell where things are headed, and to me that’s dangerous,” Matthew Sharp said.

The US has also publicly accused China of conducting covert nuclear explosive device tests that it says may violate a global moratorium. China has denied the allegations, and experts say it is difficult to assess the nature of the work based on satellite imagery alone.

Most of the facilities in Sichuan province were built in the 1960s as part of Mao Zedong’s Third Front project, a period when China moved strategic production to the interior of the country due to fears of possible attacks from the United States or the Soviet Union.

In the 1980s, some facilities were scaled back or closed, but about 7 years ago, experts say, the pace of modernization has increased dramatically. In addition to Sichuan, China is developing other nuclear sites, including a research center in the city of Mianyang.

Recall that China has placed over a hundred intercontinental ballistic missiles in mines near the border with Mongolia and is actively building up its nuclear potential.

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