China secretly builds base for nuclear tests but there’s something ‘unusual’: Report

NEW DELHI: In a remote desert where China conducted its inaugural atomic bomb test six decades ago, recent activities have sparked international concern.
According to a New York Times report, a drilling rig has punctured a deep vertical shaft, potentially plunging over a third of a mile into the earth.
The development signals that China may be testing a new breed of nuclear weaponry, enhancing the lethality of its expanding missile arsenal.
Previously shrouded in vague speculations and concerns cited in US government reports, Lop Nur, the aging base, has now come under increased scrutiny.
Satellite imagery has exposed fresh boreholes, optimal for containing the lethal aftermath of sizable nuclear detonations, amidst numerous upgrades and expansions across the military complex, the report said.
Nuclear experts, including Tong Zhao from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, cite evidence hinting at China’s preparations for a potential resumption of nuclear testing at Lop Nur.
Siegfried S Hecker, former director of Los Alamos weapons lab, told NYT that the unprecedented scale of rebuilding at Lop Nur is unusual and is a departure from Russian and American activities at their test sites.
“The Russians and Americans have continued activity at their test sites, but nothing like this,” he said.
Analysts say the activity at Lop Nur signals a wide modernization of China’s nuclear establishment, warning that it could speed arms buildups and spark a new age of atomic rivalry, the report said.
Analysts have also warned that China’s actions, coupled with those of other nuclear powers, could undermine the 1996 global test ban, intended to curb nuclear proliferation following the Cold War.
Renny Babiarz, a former National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency analyst, uncovered the recent developments at Lop Nur. His expertise in satellite reconnaissance and China’s nuclear program suggests that the newly drilled deep shafts might expedite the refinement of novel nuclear armaments for China’s burgeoning arsenal.
Concerns have also grown over China’s activities especially in the backdrop of its strained ties with US.
US intelligence agencies have monitored Lop Nur’s revival for years, acknowledging the conspicuous construction but remaining uncertain about its precise objective.
China’s foreign ministry dismissed inquiries about Lop Nur upgrades, labeling them as “baseless fearmongering”.
Emphasizing Beijing’s commitment to nuclear disarmament, the ministry labeled the claims as “utterly irresponsible.”
Lop Nur, sprawling across Xinjiang, remains a contentious site, historically linked to the Uighur region.
The Uighur community has protested against the health risks from nuclear testing since Mao Zedong’s era, marking the site’s nuclear genesis in 1964.
Lop Nur’s resurgence began post-2012, coinciding with Xi Jinping‘s ascent to power and the establishment of the Rocket Force, underlining China’s nuclear ambitions.
While signs of an imminent nuclear test are absent, experts remain divided. Some view Lop Nur’s renovation as a diplomatic warning, while others perceive it as an imminent stride toward bolstering China’s nuclear capabilities.
As China’s missile force expands rapidly, projections by the Pentagon indicate a potential fivefold increase in China’s nuclear warheads by 2035, sparking concerns about a destabilizing arms race.