In a remote Chinese desert, a vast military complex is taking shape that ?some security scholars say appears built to ensure no American first strike on China¡¯s nuclear arsenal could reliably knock out Beijing¡¯s ability to hit back.
China¡¯s nuclear missiles can already reach any city in the United States. Now, satellite images reviewed by Reuters show Beijing is building a sprawling web of launchpads, bunkers and communications nodes near the isolated nuclear silos that hold the Chinese military¡¯s longest-range missiles.
The images reveal more than 80 pads for possible use by China¡¯s expanding fleet of mobile missile launchers and air-defense batteries. They also show facilities that may serve electronic warfare, satellite communications and command operations, according to three security analysts, who assessed the imagery.
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