Article originally in the Financial Times.
The Chinese army is building a huge complex in the western part of Beijing, which, according to current and former representatives of American secret services, will serve as a war command center much larger than the Pentagon.
The satellite images obtained by the Financial Times and exploring US secret services show approximately 1,500-hectare construction site 30 kilometers southwest of Beijing with deep holes, which according to estimates of military experts will find large, paved bunkers to protect Chinese military commanders during of any conflict, including a potential nuclear war.
Several current and former American officials said that news services carefully monitor this place, which would be the largest military command center in the world. It would be at least ten times larger than the pentagon.
Beijing military town
Based on the evaluation of the satellite images obtained by FT, the main construction began in the middle of 2024. Three people familiar with the situation said that some news analysts called the project “Beijing Military City”.
Construction takes place at a time when the People’s Liberation Army is developing new weapons and projects before the anniversary of the establishment of the armed forces in 2027. US intelligence services claim that President Si Jin-Pching also ordered that the army until then achieve the ability to attack Taiwan.
The army quickly expands its nuclear weapons arsenal and works to better integrate its different ingredients. Military experts believe that lack of integration is one of its greatest weaknesses compared to the United States armed forces.
“If this is confirmed, this new advanced underground command bunker for military leadership, including President Si Jin-Pching as chairman of the Central Military Commission, signals Beijing’s intention to build not only world-class conventional forces, but also advanced capacities to guide nuclear warfare,” said the former head of the analysis department China for CIA Dennis Wilder.
There are no official mention
The director of the secret services supervised by the United States intelligence services did not comment on the project. The Chinese Embassy in Washington said he “knows no details”, but stressed that China is “a devoted path of peace development and a defense policy that has a defensive character”.
Renny Babiarz, a former image analyst of the National Geopathy Intelligence Agency, who analyzed films in this area, said there are at least one hundred cranes working on an area of five square kilometers that build underground infrastructure.
“The image analysis suggests the construction of several possible underground facilities connected by possible underground corridors, although additional data and information are needed for a complete assessment,” said Babiarz, who is currently vice president for analyzes and operations in the AllSource Analysis group that provides geoptore analysis services. .
At the beginning of January, the construction site was busy, which contrasts with the lack of development of most major real estate projects in China, which was engulfed by the crisis in the real estate sector. There were no exhibition spaces that are usually associated with a project of commercial real estate. It is unusual for a commercial project that there are no official mention of the construction site on the Internet.
Although the presence of the army was not visible on the construction site, there were boards warning about drone flies or photography. The guards at one gate suddenly declared that the entry was forbidden and refused to talk about the project. One of the guards who left the construction site also refused to comment on the project.
Access to the rear of the project was blocked by a control position. Strážnik said that the public did not have access to the popular tourist and cruise areas near the construction site, which the local trade owner described as a “military area”.
Bunker of the Court Day
One of the former High Representatives of American Intelligence Services said that although the current Chinese Army headquarters in the center of Beijing are relatively new, it was not designed as a safe combat command center.
“China’s main safe command center is located in the western hills, northeast of the new facility, and was built decades ago at the top of the Cold War,” said the former official. “Size, scope and partially hidden characteristics of the new device indicate that it will replace the complex in the Western mountains as the main war command facility.
“Chinese officials may conclude that the new facility will ensure greater security against US ammunition type ‘Bunker Buster’, and even against nuclear weapons,” added the former news official. “It can also include more advanced and safer communication and have space to expand the capacity and missions of the Chinese army.”
One of the Chinese researchers, familiar with the pictures, said the site has “all signs of sensitive military equipment”, including heavily reinforced concrete and deep underground tunnels. “It is almost ten times larger than the pentagon, which corresponds to the ambitions of Si Jin-Pching to overcome the United States,” the researcher said. “This fortress serves only for one purpose: as a bunker of the judiciary for an increasingly sophisticated and capable Chinese army.”
Much larger than a regular camp
The construction of this place takes place within several years of reconstruction of the western suburb of Beijing. On the Internet, however, there were speculation in China why the houses in the area of Čing-lung-lung-lunged with the ground. In one of the contributions to Baida Zhidao, which is the Chinese analogy of Quora, one user said, “Are they going to build a Chinese pentagon in Ching-lung-lung?”
Two people close to the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense also said that the People’s Liberation Army is probably building a new command center, although some experts have questioned whether this area is suitable for underground bunkers.
“The area of the land is much larger than the ordinary military camp and the military school, so it can only be assumed that this is a place for an administrative organization or a large training base,” said HSU Jen-Si, a Think-tank researcher on Strategic and Wargaming Studies in Taij-Pay.
© The Financial Times Limited 2025.All rights reserved. It must not be further spread, copied or modified. Ringier Slovakia Media is responsible for providing this translation. The Financial Times Limited is not responsible for the accuracy or quality of the translation.
