World War 3: China builds new nuclear missile silos that could potentially target the US amid tensions

One of the countries that can spark a world war with its nuclear arsenal is China, which has recently been at the center of conflicts against several nations, above all the USA. As tensions remain high, satellite imagery has shown what China has been doing for its growing nuclear stocks.

Fears of a possible world war were fueled when satellite imagery showed that China has set up a network of nuclear weapons bases, including a new silo field currently under construction in the west of the country. Speaking on Fox News, nuclear non-proliferation expert Jeffrey Lewis said the new missile launch sites in China are capable of containing US nuclear attacks. Lewis added that the new nuclear launch sites could be capable of firing multiple nuclear warheads at targets 9,000 miles away.

“Silos are great for sucking up enemy warheads,” said Lewis. “If you look at China’s silos, which are now on the order of 230/40, you need at least two nuclear warheads to destroy each silo.”

Fox News correspondent Lucas Tomlinson reported that it was the second time in two months that China had built more than 100 silos. Tomlinson added that China would have more than 200 by the time construction is complete. That would be half the land-based silos the US has in the west of the country.

Lewis’ warnings follow warnings from British Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood that China could have an advantage unless the West takes immediate action to deter China’s rising rise.

“We are still in the process of coming to terms with what we need to do about China,” said Ellwood. “From my point of view this is very serious, the world is splintered into two competing spheres of influence.”

Tensions between the USA and China over Taiwan have also been high recently, although the question of the island nation could also trigger a comprehensive military conflict or a world war. China claims to have sovereignty over Taiwan and claims that the island nation is part of the mainland despite its own constitution and form of government. However, Taiwan has strongly denied Beijing’s claims.

Although the US supports Taiwan, according to a panel of experts, China will succeed even if Washington decides to intervene in China’s possible attempt to take Taiwan by force. In a virtual panel hosted by LaTrobe University, Dr. Oriana Skylar Mastro of Stanford University that the US is guaranteed to appear for Taiwan in the event of a conflict with China. Dr. Mastro also pointed out that China is acting more aggressively not only on Taiwan but also on the South China Sea because it believes it can win due to its proximity to Taiwan.