China’s Underground Nuclear Great Wall

China’s Underground Nuclear Great Wall

In early December, the People’s Liberation Army's (PLA) publication, China Defense Daily (Zhongguo Guofang Bao), published a report that provided a rare glimpse into an underground tunnel that is being built by the Second Artillery Corps (SAC)—the PLA's strategic missile forces—in the mountainous regions of Hebei Province in northern China. The network of tunnels reportedly stretches for more than 3,107 miles (Ta Kung Pao, December 11; Xinhua News Agency, December 14). The revelation of the semi-underground tunnel highlights the strides being made by China's nuclear modernization efforts, and underscores a changing deterrent relationship between the United States and China.

The labyrinthine tunnel system, dubbed by the Chinese-media as the "Underground Great Wall” (Dixia Changcheng), was built for concealing, mobilizing and deploying China's growing arsenal of nuclear weapons. According to military experts cited by various reports, the main purpose of the underground tunnel is to provide the SAC with a credible second-strike capability. The building of an underground tunnel for this purpose is consistent with China's evolving nuclear doctrine from its traditional posture of "minimum deterrence" to a doctrine of "limited deterrence," since the subterranean bunkers strengthen the survivability of China's nuclear forces and bolster its nuclear deterrence posture.

Analysts have long speculated that the SAC' most important underground missile positions were located in the mountainous area in northern China. The geography of this region is cut by steep cliffs and canyons, and therefore suited for use in covering the network of tunnels that is 3,017 miles and can feed a web of underground launch silos. According to a military analyst cited by Hong Kong-based Ta Kung Pao, "the outermost layer is 1,000 meters [3,280 feet] deep and covered with soil that does not include any artificial reinforcements" (Ta Kung Pao, December 11; Xinhua News Agency, December 14). Moreover, the Chinese reports described the tunnel system in terms of "hard and deeply buried targets" (HDBTs), which typically refers to facilities a few hundred feet deep in "underground installations." In the case of strategic nuclear missiles, it would mean that all preparations can be completed underground, and the transportation of missiles, equipments and personnel through a network of underground corridors by rail cars or heavy-duty trailers to fixed launch sites can not be detected from observations on the ground (Ta Kung Pao, December 11; News.sina.com, December 13; Xinhua News Agency, December 14).

Many of the comments I read seemed concerned about this, but I disagree.

A nuclear capable country will be less likely to use them for a first strike if significant portion of their arsenal has a high probability of surviving an enemy first strike. Part of the MAD (mutually assured destruction) doctrine is that during a nuclear exchange, both parties are essentially destroyed. If one of the party’s nuclear response capability cannot withstand a first strike, the puts them at a significant disadvantage and makes them more likely to launch first as they wont have the capability to retaliate.

Considering China has been at war with both India and Russia recently and both of these nations are nuclear powers, it was only a matter of time before China invested in this kind of defense.

Still, some have speculated that with a complex like this China could secretly deploy far more weapons than it public admits to surpassing both Russia and the United states as the latest round of the START treaty comes into play.

reply to post by SirMike

The government is believed to have about 40 underground shelters at various places in the US, many built into mountainsides within about 100 miles of Washington.Source

Yes it is only natural they want a place to hide themself and their nukes, like the caves in Cheyenne Mountain and other places in the US.

You forgot that the Iran/US crissis could become a invasion that might spread to china.

reply to post by Mimir


There arent any nukes in Cheyenne Mountain, only command and control.

Originally posted by Mimir
reply to post by SirMike

 

The government is believed to have about 40 underground shelters at various places in the US, many built into mountainsides within about 100 miles of Washington.Source

Yes it is only natural they want a place to hide themself and their nukes, like the caves in Cheyenne Mountain and other places in the US.

You forgot that the Iran/US crissis could become a invasion that might spread to china.

edit on 22-8-2011 by Mimir because: (no reason given)

Cheyenne mountain does not have nuclear missiles. It is a control center.

Add this with the additional threat of the Chinese satellites (at least 5 of them are over the USA NOW) that may have nuclear warheads. We would have about 4 minutes, and it would be over for 98% of the CONUS. Retaliatory strike at China means nothing to the 1200 or so living luxuriously within these tunnels. Add to the thought that their ICBM's could pop-up any where along that 3000+ mile tunnel.
SnF

Originally posted by Mimir

You forgot that the Iran/US crissis(sic) could become a invasion that might spread to china.

Spread to China
Really?
Really!

Interesting information thanks for posting

I had never really thought about something like this in China. However if you think about it any country currently taking steps like this to protect their arsenal is a bit late coming to the party since bunkers etc have to have been SOP to any military force in the last hundred years.

It would stand to reason that China would think about underground facilities for many reasons.
Remember that China has support pacts with Middle Eastern political systems dating back to Yassar Arafat.
Russia was asked to help out with Libya; that probably didn't set well with China.
As I said, many reasons.