On the centenary of the Communist Party of China, President Xi Jinping made a harsh speech, threatening all reckless countries that would dare attack the country. The head of state referred to a “steel wall” that de Washington Post explained, in particular with the help of very telling satellite images.
119 new nuclear silos
At the moment, China is making a lot of noise about its space ambitions, or even its energy transition. However, let’s not forget that it’s practicing a significant weight again on international geopolitics. The latest evidence is President Xi Jinping’s statement on the centenary of the Chinese Communist Party. As explained by Washington Post in an article dated July 1, 2021, the head of state again threatened countries that might have the bad idea of attacking him.
We are talking about a ‘wall of steel’, an expression that emanates from the president himself. But what does this actually mean? The US daily showed satellite images from the James Martin Center Nonproliferation Studies (JMCNS), an NGO campaigning for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. According to the images, China is building no less than 119 new nuclear silos. The place of these constructions is none other than the desert part of Gansu province, that is, in the famous Gobi desert.
According to JMCNS experts, China is embarking on a major nuclear expansion. These concerns are also fueled by a recent revelation about the construction of two nuclear breeder reactors on Changbiao Island, Fujian Province. However, these two reactors must an important source of plutonium.
China would just follow
Let us not forget that China’s nuclear energy is still very far from that of the United States and Russia, these two countries together about 11,000 warheads. Nevertheless, this project could allow China to bolster its stockpile of nuclear weapons, the number of which is “only” 250 to 350 by estimates. Experts do not rule out the possibility that China could build dozens of fake silos to cover their tracks. However, it would mainly be about being able to move the weapons in case of a strategic necessity.
China’s goal would be defensive, that is, to show off its abilities to stop anyone from doing evil. For the Department of Defense (Pentagon), the United States could see its anti-missile defense capabilities overwhelmed in the event of an attack on China. Moreover, this Chinese desire to “show the canines” is said to have originated mainly in the race for weapons modernization and innovation that the United States and Russia continue to take the lead.
