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Satellite Images Reveal China’s Rapidly Expanding Nuclear Infrastructure
Satellite images suggest that China is building more places to develop and test nuclear weapons.
At one site, a whole town was built for workers.
Another site has a very long tube used to study attacks on nuclear weapons.
Scientists at a third site reportedly use powerful lasers to examine the effects of nuclear explosions.
China says it supports reducing nuclear dangers and follows a no-first-use policy.
However, its nuclear stockpile has grown since Xi Jinping became president in 2012.
Experts estimate China had 620 warheads in January 2025.
They say the number could rise to 1,500 by 2035.
Satellite imagery reportedly shows at least seven new or expanded Chinese nuclear testing and construction facilities in recent months.
One facility includes a newly built town with apartments, a staff bus depot and playing fields.
Another site reportedly contains a 2,000-foot tube for testing attacks on nuclear weapons.
Scientists are reportedly using high-tech lasers at a third facility to study nuclear-blast effects.
China’s nuclear stockpile reached an estimated 620 warheads in January 2025 and could reach 1,500 by 2035, while the country maintains a no-first-use policy.
- Who
- China, under President Xi Jinping, is expanding nuclear-related facilities and its nuclear arsenal.
- What
- Satellite imagery reportedly shows at least seven nuclear testing and construction facilities, including a town, a 2,000-foot tube and laser-testing infrastructure.
- Where
- The facilities are in rural areas of China, where villages and farming communities were reportedly cleared.
- When
- The reported construction has occurred in recent months; China’s stockpile was estimated at 620 warheads in January 2025.
- Why
- The sites are reportedly being built to support nuclear-weapons testing, research and development as China expands its arsenal.
China’s Official Position
Expansion Concerns
Nuclear policy
China’s Official Position
Xi Jinping has called for nuclear non-proliferation initiatives, and China maintains that it follows a no-first-use policy.
Expansion Concerns
Satellite imagery and stockpile estimates indicate that China is expanding nuclear infrastructure and increasing the number of warheads.
Scale of development
China’s Official Position
China’s stated policies emphasize limiting nuclear risks and reducing the possibility of nuclear use.
Expansion Concerns
Reported construction includes worker towns, a 2,000-foot testing tube and laser facilities, while villages and farmland were reportedly cleared for development.
Key facts
- Reported facilities
- At least seven nuclear test and construction facilities were identified through satellite-image analysis.
- Specialized infrastructure
- One site reportedly has a 2,000-foot tube, while another uses high-tech lasers to study nuclear-blast effects.
- Nuclear stockpile
- China was estimated to have 620 warheads in January 2025.
- Projected stockpile
- Experts cited by The Daily Telegraph estimate China could have 1,500 warheads by 2035.
- Long-range capability
- Some Chinese nuclear weapons reportedly have a range of nearly 15,000 kilometres.
- Nuclear spending
- The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons estimated China spent $12.4 billion on its nuclear ambitions in 2024.
- Official policy
- China is described as supporting nuclear non-proliferation, maintaining a no-first-use policy and being a signatory to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
Sources
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