The expansion of the sites in Sichuan province, observed in satellite imagery and a review of dozens of Chinese government documents, supports recent claims by the administration of US President Donald Trump that Beijing has been conducting its most significant nuclear weapon modernization campaign in decades.

But the dramatic changes seen at sites in Sichuan suggest that the nuclear weapons development of China’s military, known as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), shows little sign of abating.

This facility, known as 906, is just one of many. CNN noted that newly refurbished roads link 906 to at least 3 other nearby nuclear weapons bases. Over the past few years, China has been working tirelessly to bolster its nuclear arsenal, overtaking France’s arsenal in 2020. CNN notes that China currently holds just over 600 nuclear warheads. While this is far less than America, it is worth noting that Beijing is, according to the Pentagon, the “fastest producer of nuclear weapons in the world.”

China expert Gordon Chang, author of Plan Red: China’s Project to Destroy America, says while oil gets most of the attention, he believes the broader implications are much larger. Chang sees a more sinister force between the two countries because China helped Iran build key parts of its nuclear program by working through Pakistan’s “father of the nuclear bomb.”

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