Recent months have also seen a substantial increase in Chinese military flights just southwest of Taiwan, the self-governing island republic claimed by Beijing as its own territory and which it threatens to annex by force. That has included the development of land, sea and air-launched missiles such as the DF-21D 'carrier killer' ballistic missile. Other projects have been specifically aimed at countering US forces.
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The revelation that China is building targets of US ships comes amid a much wider build-up of the country's military that has seen it upgrade its missiles, ships, planes, tanks and other equipment as well as increasing the size of its armed forces.īeijing is currently in the midst of a huge expansion of its nuclear arsenal, which the US now believes could reach 1,000 warheads by the end of the decade. efforts to responsibly manage the competition with China and not about seeking specific deliverables. The Biden administration has said, however, that a deal on the consulates was not being discussed ahead of the meeting.Ī spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said last week that the planned meeting was part of U.S. Washington and Beijing have been sparring on issues from the origins of the pandemic to China's expanding nuclear arsenal, but Biden's team has so-far set low expectations for specific outcomes.Įxperts believe the two sides may work toward an agreement to relax curbs on visas for each other's journalists and have also said a deal to reopen consulates in Chengdu and Houston shuttered in 2020 could help improve the mood. The independent US Naval Institute said on its website that the mock-ups of US ships (pictured, a rail terminus and target storage) were part of a new target range developed by the People's Liberation Army The meeting would be the first direct talks between the pair since Biden became president. She said working-level discussions were underway to confirm details, but declined to offer specifics. White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean Pierre was asked at a briefing on Monday about the timing of the virtual meeting and reiterated there was an agreement in principle for Biden and Xi to hold it before the end of the year. Sources told Reuters last month that, given China's domestic COVID-19 restrictions and Xi's reluctance to travel amidst the pandemic, Washington was aiming for a video conference call in November. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi. It comes after talks in the Swiss city of Zurich last month between U.S.
The two sides told Reuters that they had reached an agreement in principle to hold the virtual meeting between Biden and Xi before year-end. Xi issued the statement as diplomatic sources said a virtual meeting between the two leaders could happen as soon as next week. It also features another model of an aircraft carrier attached to a rail, which appears to be designed for moving target practice.ĭespite constructing targets of US warships, China publicly insists it is ready to work with America as presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden prepare for a virtual summit.Ī statement from Xi published by the country's US embassy on Wednesday said the country is 'ready to work to enhance exchanges and cooperation across the board.' The Ruoqiang site features a full-scale replica of a Ford-class aircraft carrier, along with a scale model of an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.Ĭhina has copied the US's guided-missile destroyer (pictured, the USS Arleigh Burke) amid an ongoing tensions between Beijing and Washington It was unveiled just days after a similar site was uncovered in rural Ruoqiang County, featuring several targets shaped like US warships.
He described the structure as a 'suspected missile target' and revealed that construction started on June 25, with the bulk of building work carried out in October and the target now nearly-finished. In the middle of the carrier is a pronounced 'island', possibly topped with more radar reflectors, which mimics the command deck of an actual carrier. The target is surrounded by tall poles which could be topped with high-speed cameras, sensors, or radar reflectors to gather data on missile tests.
He estimated the length of the target to be around 568ft - half the size of a real-life Nimitz - and said it appears to be fixed into the ground. The images were captured by Colorado-based firm Maxar Technologies and supplied to analyst H I Sutton, otherwise known as Covert Shores, who identified the shape of the carrier as a Nimitz-class. The mock-up appears to be a half-sized replica of a Nimitz-class carrier (file image) and is located in a sparse region with one facility located close by
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