China is constructing a network that could house up to 110 nuclear silos in a desert in the remote eastern part of the country's Xinjiang province, according to scientists from the Federation of American Scientists, a nonprofit global think tank.

As first reported by The New York Times on Monday, scientists said construction at the site, near the city of Hami, most likely began around March. Using satellite images from the geospatial-data company Planet, they have discovered at least 14 silos and grounds cleared to build another 19. Judging from the network grid, it could house as many as 110 silos.

These underground silos are typically used to house intercontinental ballistic missiles — long-range missiles designed to deliver nuclear payloads.

The latest revelation follows a separate discovery of 119 silos under construction near Yumen in the neighboring Gansu province last month, The Washington Post reported, using satellite images from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at Monterey.

It is unlikely that even with its latest expansion, China will compete with Russia and the US. According to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, China is thought to have about 350 nuclear weapons, lagging far behind Russia's 6,225 and the 5,550 built by the US.


[link to www.insider.com (secure)]