China is carrying out a major expansion of military infrastructure linked to its strategic nuclear forces in the remote deserts of its northwest, according to newly analysed satellite imagery, reported Reuters on Friday.
The construction activity, spread across vast stretches of Xinjiang and linked to some of China’s most important intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) facilities, is being viewed by analysts as part of Beijing’s broader effort to improve the survivability, protection and operational effectiveness of its land-based nuclear arsenal.
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The newly identified network includes dozens of launch-pad locations, fortified facilities, communications installations, transportation links and military support structures situated around existing missile silo fields.
Security specialists who examined the imagery say the development appears designed to strengthen China’s ability to maintain a retaliatory nuclear capability in the event of an attack.
The revelations come at a time when China’s military modernisation programme is becoming an increasingly prominent issue in strategic discussions between Beijing and Washington.
The expansion of China’s nuclear infrastructure is unfolding alongside wider geopolitical tensions over Taiwan, military competition in the Indo-Pacific and concerns among US officials regarding the pace of China’s military development.
At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, one of Asia’s most significant security forums, United States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth cited China’s military growth as a matter of concern and urged American allies in the region to bolster their defence capabilities.
The newly observed developments in China’s northwest are likely to boost those discussions further.
China’s nuclear strategy
For decades, China’s nuclear policy has been centred on maintaining a relatively limited but credible deterrent force rather than matching the vast nuclear stockpiles maintained by the United States and Russia.
A key component of Beijing’s publicly stated doctrine is its “no first use” policy, under which China says it would not be the first country to employ nuclear weapons in a conflict. Instead, the strategy is built around ensuring that the country retains sufficient nuclear capability to respond after being attacked.
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This principle, often referred to as a second-strike capability, requires nuclear forces to survive an initial assault and remain operational long enough to launch a retaliatory response.
China possesses a nuclear triad consisting of land-based missiles, submarine-launched weapons and aircraft capable of carrying nuclear payloads.
However, analysts note that the country’s missile silo complexes in Xinjiang and neighbouring Gansu province represent a central component of its strategic deterrent. The newly observed construction activity appears aimed at strengthening the resilience of these facilities.
Security experts interviewed about the imagery broadly agreed that the emerging infrastructure could support China’s nuclear programme, although they cautioned that important questions remain unanswered regarding the exact functions of many of the newly built sites.
Those queries include what types of weapons may eventually be stationed there, how the facilities will be operated and whether some of the structures could serve multiple military purposes beyond nuclear missions.
Nevertheless, analysts say the overall scale of the project points to a significant effort to improve the protection and operational flexibility of China’s strategic missile forces.
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The sprawling military network in the desert
Satellite imagery reviewed by Reuters revealed a vast network of installations surrounding missile silo fields near Hami in eastern Xinjiang.
Among the most notable findings are more than 80 concrete launch-pad locations distributed across remote desert terrain.
According to analysts who studied the imagery, these sites could potentially accommodate a variety of military systems, including mobile missile launchers, air-defence assets and electronic warfare equipment.
A satellite image shows what security analysts say is a launch pad that is part of two isolated desert networks linked by roads and possible communications conduits, in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China, April 10, 2026. Image/Vantor via Reuters
The facilities are connected by an extensive network of roads and supporting infrastructure stretching across thousands of square kilometres.
Alexander Neill, an adjunct fellow at Hawaii’s Pacific Forum, highlighted the scale of the project. “We can see this infrastructure is being built on a grand scale, covering thousands of square kilometres of desert beyond the silo fields,” he told Reuters.
The network is located in one of China’s most isolated regions, where harsh environmental conditions make large-scale construction particularly challenging.
The infrastructure appears to be spread across areas surrounding some of China’s longest-range missile deployments, which are capable of reaching targets across the continental United States.
Analysts believe the development of additional military facilities around these missile fields could complicate efforts by any adversary to target and neutralise China’s land-based nuclear forces.
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The mystery surrounding the octagonal facilities
At the centre of the newly observed construction effort are two distinctive octagon-shaped military complexes situated southwest of the Hami missile silos.
One of the installations lies roughly 140 kilometres from the silo fields, while the other is located about 230 kilometres away.
A satellite image shows military activity underway at the edge of the Xinjiang octagon-shaped installation, in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China, May 11, 2026. Image/Vantor via Reuters
Built over approximately six years, the facilities contain accommodation areas for personnel as well as infrastructure capable of supporting large military vehicles.
The sites are surrounded by hardened defensive positions, protected storage areas and transportation links. Airfields and railway connections tie the complexes to the broader missile network, enabling the movement of personnel, equipment and supplies.
Recent satellite imagery reportedly showed military activity around the northern facility during April and May, including the presence of large military vehicles.
Images also revealed substantial temporary structures, including large tents, while analysts identified what they believe could be concealed launch positions integrated into the surrounding terrain.
Some of these locations appear to contain air-defence missile batteries designed to help protect strategic assets from attack.
A satellite image shows what security analysts say is a fortified weapons storage installation, revealing revetments around the building, a perimeter wall and guard towers, in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China, March 19, 2026. Image/Vantor via Reuters
Although the existence of the octagonal facilities had been documented previously, analysts say the newly identified supporting infrastructure surrounding them significantly expands understanding of their potential role.
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The two installations sit at the centre of road and conduit networks that radiate outward across the desert landscape. These routes connect numerous launch-pad locations concealed among rocky terrain and dry riverbeds.
Security specialists say some of the larger pads could potentially support road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile launchers, while others may be intended for air-defence systems or electronic warfare equipment.
Communications, command systems and operational support
Several analysts believe the newly observed facilities serve functions extending beyond missile deployment alone. One area attracting particular attention is communications infrastructure.
At the northernmost octagonal complex, satellite imagery reportedly shows the construction of facilities that may be related to satellite or microwave communications.
The site includes satellite dishes and two large towers, according to analysts who reviewed the imagery.
Experts suggest these installations may form part of a command-and-control architecture designed to maintain communications with strategic forces during a crisis.
A satellite image shows what security analysts say is a launch pad that is part of two isolated desert networks linked by roads and possible communications conduits, in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China, April 28, 2026. Image/Vantor via Reuters
Hans Kristensen, director of the Federation of American Scientists’ Nuclear Information Project, said determining the precise role of individual facilities remains difficult but stressed that the scope of the construction leaves many possibilities open.
“It is hard to rule anything out.”
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Analysts also noted the presence of conduits linking various facilities throughout the region.
Kristensen and Neill suggested these conduits could potentially contain fibre-optic communication cables that would allow secure transmission of information between command facilities and operational units.
Tong Zhao, a senior fellow in nuclear policy at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told Reuters that the available evidence points toward a broader command-and-control function.
“Taken together, I think there is a real possibility that the octagonal structures and the strange towers are linked to C3 – command, control, and communications – as well as maintenance and storage activities related to China’s nuclear operations at the Hami ICBM silo site.”
Such systems would be critical in ensuring that strategic forces remain connected and operational under crisis conditions.
A third octagon-shaped installation identified south of the Lop Nur nuclear test site appears to have a different purpose from the facilities linked to the Hami missile fields. According to analysts cited in the reports, the site appears less developed and may function as a target-testing range.
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Satellite images reportedly show damaged structures and terrain marked by impact patterns.
Analysts from Vantor, a commercial satellite imagery provider, said the area also appears to contain mock-ups resembling Western fighter aircraft.
The findings suggest the facility may be used for training, testing or evaluation activities rather than serving as an operational missile-support installation.
China’s growing nuclear arsenal
According to a Pentagon report released in December, China is expected to possess approximately 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030.
The same assessment estimated that around 100 intercontinental ballistic missiles could already be loaded across China’s three principal missile silo fields.
Although US officials have indicated that China’s warhead production growth has slowed compared with previous projections, they continue to argue that Beijing is modernising its nuclear capabilities at a pace unmatched by any other country.
China has also been investing in technologies intended to improve early warning and strategic response capabilities.
US officials say the country’s Huoyan-1 satellite network forms part of a missile warning system capable of identifying incoming intercontinental ballistic missile launches shortly after they occur.
According to Pentagon assessments, the system can detect an incoming missile within approximately 90 seconds of launch and transmit warning information to command centres within three to four minutes.
Such timelines could provide sufficient opportunity for Chinese strategic forces to react before incoming weapons reach their targets. These developments are viewed by many analysts as complementary to the infrastructure expansion underway in Xinjiang.
For experts who have spent decades studying global nuclear forces, the scale of the undertaking stands out. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it,” Kristensen said.
“It’s an extraordinary effort.”
Strategic rivalry and concerns in Washington
Washington has repeatedly expressed concern regarding China’s military modernisation, particularly in areas related to nuclear weapons, missile technology and military activity in the Indo-Pacific.
Some Western diplomats and analysts have also argued that China’s nuclear capabilities could potentially influence calculations surrounding a future Taiwan crisis.
Taiwan remains one of the most sensitive issues in US-China relations. Beijing considers the island part of its territory, while Taiwan’s government rejects those claims.
Earlier this month,
Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly warned US President Donald Trump that mishandling disagreements over Taiwan could push bilateral relations toward a “dangerous place.”
Against this backdrop, China’s nuclear developments are being closely monitored by defence planners and policymakers.
Speaking at
the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday, Hegseth highlighted Washington’s concerns regarding China’s military growth. “There is rightful alarm regarding China’s historic military buildup and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond,” he said.
Hegseth argued that maintaining a stable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific remains essential.
“A Pacific dominated by any hegemon would unravel the regional balance of power,” Hegseth said. “No state, including China, can impose its hegemony and hold the security or prosperity of our nation and our allies in question.”
The Pentagon chief also called on regional allies and partners to increase military spending, saying the United States expects them to move toward defence budgets equal to 3.5 per cent of GDP.
At the same time, Hegseth sought to point out continued engagement between Washington and Beijing. “We are meeting more frequently with our Chinese counterparts by maintaining open lines of military-to-military communication.”
He also described current US-China relations as being in a better position than in previous years.
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With inputs from Reuters
First Published:
May 30, 2026, 18:00 IST
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