TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Satellite images reveal China is building a large wartime military complex in its capital, according to US officials.

The Financial Times obtained satellite images of a 1,500-acre construction site, which China is suspected to have begun in mid-2024. US intelligence officials are inspecting the photos, which show holes they believe will hold bunkers to protect Chinese leaders during a conflict.

Former analyst at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Renny Babiarz said, “Imagery analysis suggests the construction of several possible underground facilities linked via possible underground passageways, although additional data and information is needed to more fully assess this construction.” 

So far, no military presence has been spotted at the construction site. However, there were warning signs against drones or photographs, and guards refused to comment on the project. 

According to one former US intelligence official, the size and scale of the new facility suggest it will replace the Western Hills complex as China's primary wartime command center. The new facility could provide greater security against US “bunker buster” munitions, and even against nuclear weapons, the official said.

The Chinese embassy in Washington said it was not aware of the details.

Two people close to Taiwan’s defense ministry reportedly received news that China appears to be constructing a new complex. However, the Taipei-based think tank Council on Strategic and Wargaming Studies researcher Hsu Yen-chi (徐彥齊) questioned if the area would fit underground bunkers, saying, “It can only be assumed that it is a site for an administrative organization or a large training base.” 

The news comes ahead of China's 2027 short-term military modernization goal marking the PLA’s centennial. Xi Jinping (習近平) has denied plans to invade Taiwan in 2027, but US officials said the Chinese leader instructed the PLA to develop the ability to attack by then.