China speeds up the process of building nuclear weapons, reports US thinktank

Washington/Beijing: – China, which has refused to participate in ongoing efforts by the United States and Russia to limit its nuclear arsenal, has reportedly begun large-scale nuclear weapons development. The thinktank’ Federation of American Scientists’ has just released a new report. The report says that China had begun construction of about 110 ‘Silos’ needed for nuclear weapons in the eastern part of Xinjiang province. The study group has also published satellite photographs of China’s movements.

Underground chambers set up for nuclear weapons are called ‘Silos’. Earlier this month, a report by the thinktank’ James Martin Centre for Non-proliferation Studies’ found that China was building new systems to develop nuclear weapons in the desert region of Gansu Province. The Federation of American Scientists reports suggest that nuclear weapons systems are being designed in other provinces. Construction of new systems has begun near the town of Hami, about 400 kilometres northwest of Yumen in Gansu Province. The US study claims that the structure of the ‘Silos’ started in March 2021.

Given space and preparation, the US think tank claims that about 110 ‘Silos’ will be built in the area. Dome-shaped shelters have been built on 14 of the ‘Silos’ to be erected near Hami, whereas land has been prepared and demarcated for 19 ‘Silos’. The Federation of American Scientists claims that the systems being developed in Yumen, followed by Hami, are the largest campaign by China to augment nuclear stockpiles.

China has been building large-scale nuclear weapons systems in three different regions in the last three months alone. In the Inner Mongolia province, 12 to 14 silos are being built in the Jilantai area. Following this, information has been revealed about the ‘Silos’ to be set up in ‘Yumen’ and ‘Hami’ this month. Together, China is building more than 240 ‘Silos’ in these three locations. As per the currently available information, only 20 silos are operating in China. However, after setting up the system at all three places, the same number will go up to 260.

According to a US think tank, if China keeps its nuclear weapons in all these ‘Silos’, China’s number of nuclear weapons could be between 400 and 900. The Federation of American Scientists has pointed out in a report that the reason for such a large-scale nuclear build-up could be to increase the capability of nuclear strikes, to be prepared to respond to US attacks and to put pressure on enemy countries. China has been vying to become a superpower for the past few years. The US think tank claimed that building a picture of becoming a superpower could be one of the motives behind the pace at which nuclear arsenal is being developed.

In June, the report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said China had 350 nuclear weapons. The SIPRI report also said that China is rapidly increasing its nuclear stockpile and is in the process of modernizing the existing stockpile.