China is constructing a colossal military command centre, with US intelligence sources warning it could serve as a wartime bunker for President Xi Jinping and his top military leaders.
The vast facility on the outskirts of Beijing – believed to be at least ten times the size of the Pentagon – has raised alarm among Western intelligence agencies, who fear it signals Beijing’s preparations for a major global conflict, potentially including nuclear war.
Newly analysed satellite images of the project show a 1,500-acre site under rapid development 30km south-west of Beijing.
Military analysts believe the massive construction includes heavily fortified bunkers designed to shield China’s top military brass from missile strikes – particularly ‘bunker-buster’ weapons used by the US.
Experts say the facility, nicknamed ‘Beijing Military City’ by intelligence analysts, could eclipse any known military command centre in the world.
The shocking revelations come as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) races to expand its nuclear arsenal and increase its combat capabilities ahead of its centenary in 2027.
US intelligence sources believe Xi Jinping has ordered the PLA to be capable of launching an attack on Taiwan by 2027, further heightening tensions in the region.
Former CIA China analyst Dennis Wilder warned that the new complex could mark a dangerous shift in China’s military doctrine.
The vast facility on the outskirts of Beijing – believed to be at least ten times the size of the Pentagon – has raised alarm among Western intelligence agencies
China is constructing a colossal military command centre, with US intelligence sources warning it could serve as a wartime bunker for President Xi Jinping (pictured) and his top military leaders
‘If confirmed, this new advanced underground command bunker signals Beijing’s intent to build not just a world-class conventional force, but also an advanced nuclear warfighting capability,’ he told the Financial Times.
US intelligence officials, who have been closely monitoring the site since mid-2024, say the scale and secrecy of the project suggest it is intended to replace China’s current command centre in the Western Hills, which was built during the Cold War.
Despite the immense scale of the development, Beijing has refused to comment, with the Chinese embassy in Washington claiming it was ‘not aware of the details’.
Satellite images show at least 100 cranes operating over a five-square-kilometre area, where military analysts believe extensive underground tunnels and hardened bunkers are being built.
There are no signs of commercial development, and all online references to the project appear to have been scrubbed from Chinese internet searches.
When reporters attempted to investigate the site, guards refused entry and blocked access to hiking trails near the area.
A local shopkeeper described it bluntly: ‘It’s a military area.’
Military experts say the project has all the hallmarks of a top-secret PLA installation, with heavily reinforced concrete structures and deep underground tunnelling.
One US intelligence source suggested that the sheer scale of the new bunker means it could serve as China’s primary wartime command centre, offering greater protection against US military strikes and housing advanced secure communications technology.
China is expanding its nuclear weapons stockpile at an unprecedented rate, while seeking to integrate its army, navy, and air force into a single, more efficient warfighting machine
The construction of the site coincides with a massive military build-up by the PLA, which is rapidly modernising its forces to rival the US.
China is expanding its nuclear weapons stockpile at an unprecedented rate, while seeking to integrate its army, navy, and air force into a single, more efficient warfighting machine.
A China expert who analysed the satellite images said the bunker ‘has all the hallmarks of a doomsday command centre’.
‘Nearly ten times bigger than the Pentagon, it’s fitting for Xi Jinping’s ambitions to surpass the US.’
Some Chinese citizens have even speculated online about the project’s purpose. In a now-deleted post on Chinese social media, one user asked: ‘Are they building the Chinese Pentagon in Qinglonghu?’
US intelligence agencies are now racing to determine the true purpose of the vast facility and how it fits into China’s broader military ambitions.
Western officials warn that if China is preparing for a future war – whether over Taiwan or against the US – this underground fortress could play a key role in their strategic planning. But for now, Beijing remains silent.
It comes just days after satellite images have unveiled China’s construction of a new sprawling fusion research centre which has sparked international apprehension over its potential applications in both energy production and nuclear weapons development.
Satellite images have unveiled China ‘s construction of a new sprawling fusion research centre which has sparked international apprehension over its potential applications in both energy production and nuclear weapons development
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility in Livermore, California, where experiments in high energy density physics and astrophysical phenomena take place
NIF Target Bay in Livermore, California. The system uses 192 laser beams converging at the center of this giant sphere to make a tiny hydrogen fuel pellet implode
The research facility, located in Mianyang, Sichuan province, has been analysed by multiple experts that have identified the plant’s design, which features four extensive laser bays converging on a central experimental chamber.
The design bears striking similarities to the £2.8billion US National Ignition Facility (NIF) in California, which made headlines last year for achieving a breakthrough in nuclear fusion.
However, the Chinese experiment bay appears to be approximately 50 per cent larger than its American counterpart, suggesting the country’s ambitions may surpass even those of the US in the race for fusion technology.
The facility’s location in Mianyang is particularly significant, as the region is already known as a hub for China’s nuclear and defense research.
The city is home to the China Academy of Engineering Physics (CAEP), the nation’s premier nuclear weapons research institute.
This connection has led to speculation that the new facility is not solely focused on energy research but could also serve dual purposes, including enhancing the country’s nuclear arsenal.
Experts highlight that such facilities enable countries to simulate the conditions of nuclear explosions, thereby refining warhead designs without the need for actual detonations.
