China has apparently begun building more than 100 new nuclear missile silos in a desert area in the western part of the country, a report says.
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Work at 119 sites was clearly visible and resembled existing missile launch facilities, according to satellite images taken by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, California, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.
The sites were not the only areas in China where rocket launch facilities were under construction, a volunteer at the nuclear plant said.
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The project in China signals possible intentions to upgrade the country's nuclear arsenal from the current 250 weapons to 350 - a more modest total compared to the US and Russia, the Post reported.
The US is believed to have a total of more than 5,500 nuclear warheads, including about 1,700 that have been retired and are awaiting dismantling, according to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation website.
According to the Federation of American Scientists website, Russia is believed to possess more than 6,200 warheads, including those scheduled for withdrawal.
Other nations in the so-called "nuclear club" are France, Britain, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea, each with much smaller warheads, according to the website.
The report on China's construction of nuclear missile silos follows recent warnings from Pentagon officials about the nation's nuclear expansion plans, the Post reported.
In February, Chinese officials dismissed US concerns about its possible new nuclear ambitions as "baseless" and an "abuse" of the country.
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However, in April, Director Charles Richard, commander of the US Strategic Command, urged lawmakers on Capitol Hill to support upgrading the US, warning of recent investments by Russia and China.
Source of information: foxnews.com
