this post was submitted on 31 Jan 2025
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The images, obtained by the Financial Times, suggest major construction of the project began in mid-2024, as the People’s Liberation Army gears up for its centenary in 2027.

Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, has repeatedly warned that he intends to annex Taiwan by then, posing a major threat to the US, which relies on Taipei for its supply of microchips.

Dennis Wilder, the former head of China analysis for the CIA, said that if verified, the new complex signalled Beijing’s intention to develop its “advanced nuclear war-fighting capability”.

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[–] RattlerSix@lemmy.world 21 points 1 year ago (1 children)

But will it have 50 sides?

[–] quinceyBones@lemmy.zip 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

1-sided to really show off who is #1

[–] YerbaYerba@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

The Möbius Strip! Genius!

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago (3 children)

That's one huge target. The US built theirs in 1941 and as the Cold War proved a support centralized structure was vulnerable they took care to distribute actual command and communications. I'm not sure why the Chinese are doing this instead of distributed command structures.

[–] OpenStars@piefed.social 23 points 1 year ago (1 children)

To show off? The real stuff probably would be distributed as well.

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago
[–] gibmiser@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Well, if I were a superpower, I would be tryingto fight cold wars, not hot wars. And I don't think it matters in that case

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Well that would be bearding the dragon then because they have a stated goal of grabbing Taiwan in the next few years. Which has been acknowledged as a start to a hot war for decades.

A sense of invulnerability.

[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

Satellite images of the base, about 20 miles south-west of the Chinese capital, show a 1,500-acre construction site that experts suggest could house reinforced bunkers to protect the country’s military top brass in the case of a nuclear war.

2.34 sq miles for those that think in those terms. That's big site.

[–] HenriVolney@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 year ago

That's a lot of m2. I hope they build according to the latest energy-saving standards!

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Gonna end up like Russia in Ukraine

[–] Deceptichum@quokk.au 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Only with stronger international support than Ukraine received . . . which was already tense enough.

Taiwan is 16.6x smaller than Ukraine, there is much less land needed to be captured.

And China is far more capable an adversary than Russia has been for decades.

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

....in what way? I'm not even sure what you're suggesting.

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 1 points 1 year ago

Bogged down in a war of attrition. US and east Asian allies will make it very uncomfortable for China more so than what US and EU did for Russia

[–] Deceptichum@quokk.au 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

In terms of invading Taiwan I presume.

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Oh, I've long ago came to the conclusion that's never going to happen. Of all the things I can say bad about trump, warmonger doesn't seem to be among those traits. But he still hates China. So anything China tries to do, say an invasion of Taiwan, trump would do everything to block just to fuck over China.

And I have to assume that after 2028, future presidents will be politically sane enough not to start a war with China, but also protect Taiwan.

So that invasion is never going to happen.