The Chinese military is building a massive complex in western Beijing that U.S. intelligence officials say will serve as a warfighting command center much larger than the Pentagon.
Satellite images currently being reviewed by U.S. intelligence agencies show a roughly 1.500-acre construction site 30 kilometers southwest of Beijing, with deep pits that military experts say will house large, hardened bunkers to protect China's military leaders during any conflict, including a potential nuclear war.
Several U.S. officials have said the intelligence community is closely monitoring the site, which would be the largest military command center in the world, at least 10 times larger than the Pentagon.
Based on an assessment of satellite images, main construction began in mid-2024. Some intelligence analysts have nicknamed the project "Beijing Military City" because of the project's scale. The construction comes as the People's Liberation Army is developing new weapons and designs ahead of its 2027th anniversary in XNUMX. U.S. intelligence has said that President Xi Jinping has also ordered the Chinese military to develop the ability to attack Taiwan by that date.
The Chinese military is also rapidly expanding its nuclear weapons arsenal and working to better integrate its various branches. Military experts believe that the lack of integration is among the Chinese military's greatest weaknesses compared to the U.S. military.
"If confirmed, this new advanced underground command bunker for the military leadership, including President Xi as chairman of the Central Military Commission, signals Beijing's intention to build not only a world-class conventional force, but also an advanced nuclear combat capability.", said Dennis Wilder, former head of China analysis for the CIA.
Renny Babiarz, a former imagery analyst at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency who analyzed images of the area, said at least 5 cranes were in operation over a 100-square-kilometer area, working to develop underground infrastructure. "Image analysis suggests the construction of several possible underground structures connected by possible underground passages, although further data and information are needed to further evaluate this construction", said Babiarz, now vice president of analytics and operations at AllSourceAnalysis, a group of geospatial analysis services.
The site where China is building this massive “military citadel” was busy with construction activity earlier this month, in contrast to the lack of development at most major real estate projects in China, which has been hit by a real estate crisis. Unlike a commercial project, there is no official mention of the construction site on the Chinese Internet, which seems to support the narrative that it is a military settlement.
Although there was no visible military presence at the site, there were signs warning against flying drones or taking photographs. The public is not allowed to access the most popular hiking and tourist areas near the site, as they are designated as a "military area."
A former senior U.S. intelligence official said that while the PLA's current headquarters in central Beijing is fairly new, it was not designed to be a secure combat command center.
"China's main secure command center is located northeast of the new facility, and was built decades ago, at the height of the Cold War.", the former official said. The size, scale and partially buried features of the new facility suggest it will replace the current complex as the primary wartime command facility. "Chinese leaders may believe that the new facility will provide greater security against U.S. bunker buster munitions and even against nuclear weapons", added the former intelligence official. "It can also incorporate more advanced and secure communications and have room to expand the capabilities and missions of the People's Liberation Army.".
A Chinese researcher in the know said that the area featured "all the hallmarks of a sensitive military structure", including reinforced concrete and deep underground tunnels. "Nearly 10 times the size of the Pentagon, it is fitting that Xi Jinping's ambitions surpass those of the United States", said the researcher. "This fortress has only one purpose: to serve as a doomsday bunker for an increasingly sophisticated and capable Chinese military."
The construction comes amid a multi-year redevelopment of Beijing's western suburbs. There have been online discussions in China about why homes in the Qinglonghu area were razed. In a post on Baidu Zhidao, China's equivalent of Quora, one user wrote: "Will They Build China's Pentagon in Qinglonghu?"
Two people close to Taiwan's Defense Ministry also said the People's Liberation Army appears to be building a new command center, although some experts have questioned whether the area is suitable for underground bunkers. "The area of land is much larger than a normal military camp and a military school, so one can only assume that it is a site for an administrative organization or a large training base.", said Hsu Yen-chi, a researcher at the think-tank Council on Strategic and Wargaming Studies of Taipei.
