China builds 119 silos for launching ICBMs
SANAA, July 1 (YPA) – The American newspaper “Washington Post” said that the Chinese authorities have begun construction of 119 silos for launching intercontinental ballistic missiles in the northwest of the country.
The newspaper quoted the “James Martin Center for the Study of Non-Proliferation Issues” at the Middlebury Institute that the Chinese authorities are working to build 119 silos for launching intercontinental ballistic missiles in a desert area near Yumen city, Gansu Province, which may indicate a significant enhancement of Beijing’s nuclear capabilities.
Commercial satellite images received by the center show that work is being done on a network of hundreds of square miles that includes 119 nearly identical construction sites that contain the same components as the “launch facilities for Chinese ballistic missile arsenals equipped with nuclear warheads.”
The newspaper’s report stated that the researchers identified in these images a “command center that was partially built,” according to what was reported by the “Russia Today” satellite channel.
“Washington Post” added: “The establishment of more than 100 silos for launching missiles, if completed, will become a historic transformation for China, which considers that it possesses a relatively small warehouse for a nuclear arsenal of 250 to 350 warheads.”
The report noted, however, that “the actual number of missiles that are planned to be deployed in these facilities is unknown, but it could be much lower, as China has previously set up fake silos.”
The James Martin Center considered that “China is partially strengthening its nuclear capabilities to support the deterrent factor,” explaining that Beijing is seeking to acquire a nuclear arsenal, parts of which will remain after a possible first strike by the United States and will be sufficient to bypass American missile defenses.
This comes in the context of the fierce competition between Washington and Beijing, which is no longer confined to the commercial aspects, but has extended to the military issue and the arms race.