China building world's largest military command centre to protect leaders in nuclear war

China is constructing the world's largest military command centre near Beijing, in a bid to safeguard the country's leaders in the event of a nuclear conflict, US intelligence officials have said.

The facility, about 20 miles south-west of the Chinese capital, covers 1,500 acres and is set to be 10 times the size of the Pentagon.

Experts speculate that it could house reinforced military bunkers designed to protect top military officials, including President Xi Jinping, should a nuclear war break out.

Satellite images obtained by the Financial Times show a large construction site where cranes are working around the clock.

Satellite images of the base, about 20 miles south-west of the Chinese capital, show a 1,500-acre construction site Credit: Planet Labs

The base, which is expected to be called "Beijing Military City," is under rapid construction despite the ongoing property crisis in China.

Experts believe it may replace the existing secure command centre, located in the Western Hills, which was built during the Cold War.

Once completed, the new base is expected to provide China with advanced capabilities to defend against US "bunker buster" weapons and even nuclear threats.

The facility's design, featuring deep underground tunnels and reinforced concrete, suggests it is intended to serve as a "doomsday bunker."

China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) is preparing for its centenary in 2027, with the new facility representing a significant step in the country’s military expansion.

This development comes amid rising concerns over Beijing's growing nuclear arsenal, which experts predict will match the US by 2035.

In addition to building the new command centre, China has been expanding its nuclear capabilities.

Recent satellite analysis revealed the country had cleared land on the island of Changbiao in the eastern China Sea to build two nuclear reactors capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium.

The project is a clear indication that China is enhancing its nuclear war-fighting capabilities, amid heightened tensions with the US and its allies.

The rapid pace of construction at the new facility highlights China’s ambitions to assert its military dominance in the region.