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China has intensified its military preparations by expanding a large-scale replica of Taipei government buildings at the Zhurihe Training Base in Inner Mongolia, according to a report published by the Sankei Shimbun and highlighted by the Japanese Institute for National Fundamentals, the satellite images reveal that the mock-up site has grown almost three times in size since 2020, raising concerns over China's escalating efforts to pressure Taiwan, as reported by Taipei Times.
According to Taipei Times, the images show replicas of key sites, including Taiwan's Presidential Office Building, the Judicial Yuan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and, more recently, the Ministry of Defense's Reserve Command. A striking addition is a newly built 280-kilometre tunnel linking the mock Presidential Office Building with the Judicial Yuan; such developments symbolise China's intent to convey that Taiwan's leaders could not escape, even if they relied on underground shelters. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has been constructing and using these mock facilities for over a decade. As early as 2015, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV aired footage of the PLA training at the fake Presidential Office Building. More recent satellite photos from 2022 and 2023 have shown Chinese troops erecting and clearing roadblocks, as well as advancing with armoured brigades in simulated urban combat scenarios. The ongoing construction suggests that these exercises are far from symbolic; the training reflects Chinese President Xi Jinping's longstanding directive to strengthen "realistic combat training." Since assuming leadership of the Central Military Commission in 2012, Xi has ordered the PLA to enhance battlefield simulations. This was reinforced during a 2018 "training mobilisation meeting," where Xi, dressed in military attire, urged soldiers to prepare for real war scenarios, as highlighted by Taipei Times. These expansions serve dual purposes: refining China's military strategy for a possible Taiwan invasion, and conducting psychological warfare by making such preparations highly visible. For Taiwan, the existence of a "mock Taipei" deep inside Inner Mongolia highlights China's determination to step up pressure, both militarily and symbolically, signalling the need for heightened vigilance across the Taiwan Strait, as reported by Taipei Times. (ANI)
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