Why is china building gigantic structures in the middle of the desert

One theory among analysts is that not all of these facilities will be put to use housing missiles. Either way, the US would have to operate on the assumption that every silo contained a missile. This strategy, dubbed the shell game, was originally used by the US against the Soviet Union, with missiles regularly moved between shelters. And according to Mr Eveleth and Dr Lewis, who both analysed the images, China might have picked this strategy up while studying US defence in the s.

E xperts told CNN that before this development , the US military might have been considering using nuclear weapons in a war near China. But the construction of or more silos makes a preemptive strike much more complicated. But a three-way triangle arms-control dynamic is incredibly unstable," he said.

But building up its nuclear arsenal — or at least appearing to — may also be part of a longer play on Beijing's part, according to Dr Davis. Those aims could include defending claimed territory in the South China Sea, or launching a military operation in Taiwan.

I think we shouldn't kid ourselves that they somehow are not contemplating war. They are. The missile silos in the desert could be something of an insurance policy against the US intervening in any action against Taiwan. He said a "strong military dream" was a core part of China's aspirations. But Mr Sung noted that a day after the Washington Post report, Chinese media raised an alternative explanation for the structures shown in the satellite images, saying they were wind farm turbines.

Meanwhile, the editor in chief of the Global Times newspaper, widely considered a mouthpiece for Beijing, described the researchers behind the report as "amateur". You can see quite clearly what the land cover is, but land use is a much more difficult problem," Hamilton told LiveScience. China announced its plans to build a special economic zone in Kashgar a few years ago, and has taken on a number of projects — from creating high-speed rail lines to the razing of the ancient Islamic buildings in the heart of the city — in order to achieve that goal, Geens said.

In fact, the region in question is located next to the rail lines and the airports, making it even more likely that the structures are industrial factories, Geens said. In addition, some of the roads are partially covered in sand, and construction-related vehicles can be seen in some of the satellite images, suggesting the area is still being built, Hamilton said.

It's also unlikely to be a secret site because it's quite close to a major population area, and there are no barriers, towers or enclosures that would indicate a Chinese military operation , Hamilton said. While one structure in the complex somewhat resembles a helicopter testing area, there's no reason it would necessarily be related to military activities, he added. You can investigate here and tell us what you think.

The third one I don't know what the hell it is either, and it's perhaps the craziest of them all: Thousand of lines intersecting in a titanic grid that is about 18 miles long. Another targeting grid? A big practical joke?

You can inspect it here. Take a look at the beta version of dw. We're not done yet! Your opinion can help us make it better. We use cookies to improve our service for you. You can find more information in our data protection declaration. The outlines of an aircraft carrier and at least one destroyer have been spotted at a Chinese site the US Naval Institute said is used for target practice. Satellite imaging has discovered what appear to be full-scale replicas of US warships in a Chinese desert, agencies reported on Monday.

Images taken last month by US-based company Maxar Technologies show the outlines of a US aircraft carrier and at least one destroyer in the Taklamakan Desert in the northwestern Xinjiang region.

The past few years have been marked by heightened tensions between the US and China over diplomatic and military dominance in the Pacific region.