China expands secret Nuclear sites in Sichuan, satellite images reveal: Report | India News

China is reportedly expanding its Nuclear facilities, analysis of satellite images from 2022 to 2026 reveals major expansions of secret nuclear weapons sites in China’s Sichuan Province.

The findings by geospatial expert Renny Babiarz highlight China’s accelerating nuclear buildup since 2019 and signal a strategic shift in its capabilities, according to a report published in the New York Times on Sunday.

The report also notes that satellite images of Sichuan’s Zitong field show a newly built complex with large pipes suitable for hazardous materials, as well as new bunkers and fortifications in a valley.

Analysts say this setup is compatible with high explosives testing to perfect chemical detonators that compress nuclear material in warheads.

Hui Zhang, a physicist at the Harvard Kennedy School who studies China’s nuclear programs, reviewed Babiarz’s findings and told the New York Times: “You have a layer of high explosives and the shock wave explodes toward the center at the same time. Explosion tests are needed to perfect these.”

Recent satellite images show new construction next to the main building, as well as a renovation of the structure with new vents and heat dissipation features.

Border Security Risks for India?

Sichuan is located relatively close to India’s Himalayan border. Expansion poses profound strategic challenges for India due to ongoing border tensions and shifting regional power dynamics.

China’s advanced nuclear capabilities could complicate de-escalation talks by encouraging aggressive stances in Ladakh or Arunachal.

Although India and China have recently repaired their relations since the SCO summit in Tianjin, the expansion comes with border threats, given New Delhi’s past relations with Beijing.

Beijing’s nuclear developments, with new bunkers for high-explosive testing and plutonium processing facilities, could lower the threshold for escalation, as a more confident China could test India’s resolve in future stalemates.

The expansion further complicates India’s obsolete nuclear doctrine and deterrence strategy. This signals that Beijing is moving towards strategic parity with the US, rejecting trilateral arms talks and challenging regional stability as India supports Agni-V and canister missiles.

Global Nuclear Dynamics

China’s reported increase signals its desire to achieve nuclear parity with the United States and Russia, potentially increasing its arsenal to 1,000 warheads by 2030 in an environment where treaties such as New START are being eroded.

China is secretly producing plutonium parts for nuclear weapons and testing explosives; It is transitioning from a small nuclear force to a bolder force with land, sea and air weapons. This makes it somewhat difficult for the US to protect its Asian allies with its nuclear umbrella.