Reuters published photos on Friday of mysterious installations in the Chinese desert. A closer look at these images reveals that these facilities house China's new defenses against a nuclear attack.

In China's Xinjiang desert, strange infrastructure has been photographed by satellite. According to a Reuters investigation, it appears to be a vast network of launch sites, bunkers, and communication hubs. The location was not chosen at random, as these facilities are situated near nuclear silos housing the Chinese military's long-range missiles.

This means that in the event of an attack, China significantly strengthens its retaliatory capabilities. As tensions rise over issues such as Taiwan's sovereignty and the war in the Middle East, the nuclear rivalry between China and the United States continues to escalate.

An extensive military force

According to Alexander Neill, a research associate at the Pacific Forum (a foreign policy research institute), "we are witnessing a considerable strengthening and diversification of China's strategic nuclear deterrent." These new facilities are centered around two octagonal installations, both located southwest of the Hami nuclear fields.

The octagonal structure located further north is 140 kilometers (south) of the Hami nuclear fields. A building stands in the center. All around it, red-roofed houses accommodate military personnel. The white buildings are storage hangars for military vehicles and missile launch sites.

A second octagonal structure, located further south, is approximately 230 kilometers from the Hami nuclear fields. It is configured similarly, except that it reportedly houses a railway terminal, an airfield, and what could be fuel tanks. Satellite images clearly show the various railway lines and the presence of reinforced bunkers around the site.

A third site is located even further south but is less developed. It is believed to serve as a training target. The images also reveal facilities that could be used for electronic warfare, capable of jamming satellite communications and disrupting command operations.

a project whose broad outlines remain unclear

Reuters interviewed five unnamed security experts who agreed that these facilities could be used for China's nuclear program as well as other military purposes. Key details of the project remain unknown. The purpose of some of the facilities could not be precisely determined. The types of weapons China might deploy from these launch sites are also uncertain.

This topic could have been addressed during the "Shangri-La Dialogues," which are currently underway. The annual Asia Security Summit, organized by the IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies), opened this Friday, May 29, in Singapore. This forum brings together, for three days, military leaders and researchers from approximately 45 countries, including China and the United States.

This year, no meeting will take place between Dong Jun, the Chinese Defense Minister, and Pete Hegseth, the United States Secretary of War.