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| China is said to be growing its still small nuclear arsenal. (Photo by= Reuters) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] US scientists revealed that China is building a nuclear missile silo field in the west of the country Satellite images from Xinjiang province suggest the site could house about 110 silos when it is finished, says the report from the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), BBC reported.
US defence officials have expressed concern about China's nuclear build-up. It’s the second new silo field reported to be under construction in western China in the last two months. The Washington Post newspaper reported 120 silos spotted at a site in a desert area in Yumen, in Gansu province, in the previous month. The FAS said in its report on Monday that the new site at Hami, about 380 km (240 miles) northwest of Yumen, was at a much earlier stage of development. The silo field in Xinjiang was detected using commercial satellite imagery, but higher-resolution pictures were later provided by Planet, a satellite imaging company.
In 2020 the Pentagon said China was set to double its stockpile of nuclear warheads, from a low base. The news comes as the US and Russia prepare for arms control talks. Last year, China had a nuclear stockpile of more than 200 warheads and was aiming to at least double this amount, the Pentagon said. The US has approximately 3,800 warheads, analysts say.
