China preparing for 'aerial blitz' as replica of Taiwan capital uncovered at military base

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A Taiwanese defence expert warned that the eerie replica, used for training purposes, shows the Chinese are preparing for an aerial bombing of the island as Beijing moves towards an invasion.

By Oli Smith, News Reporter

22:27, Fri, Mar 29, 2024 | UPDATED: 22:42, Fri, Mar 29, 2024

The replica building was found in the middle of a remote military training site (Image: PLANET LABS)

New satellite images have uncovered a mock-up of Taiwan’s presidential palace in the middle of the Chinese desert.

The replica building was found in the middle of a remote military training site in Alxa League, in southwest China’s Inner Mongolia region.

The site also features several government buildings in a critical area of Taipei, Taiwan’s capital city.

It is not the first time that China has built such mock-ups at its military bases. Back in 2014, satellite images showed a mock-up of Taiwan’s presidential office at another military base in Inner Mongolia.

A video broadcast in July 2015 also revealed Chinese troops practicing an assault on the fake presidential palace. However, Taiwanese defense analyst Joseph Wen, who shared the satellite snapshot, said it was the first time that the entire extent of the Bo’ai Special Zone, or the political heart of Taipei, had been replicated.

Mr Wen suggested that the mockup appears to serve as an aerial bombing and gunnery training range.

The Chinese Communist Party considers Taiwan a part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to take control of the island.

The satellite images, provided by Planet Labs, show that the buildings have been there since December 2022.

China is on track to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027 according to the US (Image: GETTY)

Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng defended the move to replicate Taipei’s government buildings, adding that Taiwan’s military could also conduct military exercises in simulated locations.

China has previously also built mock-ups of US aircraft carriers and other warships at training sites.

Last week, US Navy Admiral John Aquilino, the commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, told the US Armed Services House Committee that China was building its military up at a scale not seen since World War II and was on track to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027.

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