China’s New Military city is 10x The U.S Pentagon Size | WSJ Coordinates - video Dailymotion

Abdullah Afridi

China is building what is believed to be the world’s biggest military command center on the outskirts of Beijing. The new site for the PLA is ten times the size of the Pentagon with satellite images revealing deep underground networks believed to contain bunkers.  WSJ explains how this new base could reshape the global security landscape as China hopes to modernize its military like the U.S., NATO countries and Russia.   Chapters: 0:00 China’s new military command center 0:34 What is this? 1:43 How is it beneficial? 2:19 China’s militarization 4:01 Should the U.S. be worried?  Coordinates In Coordinates, WSJ explains the geopolitics and developments of key regions imperative to the military strategies of countries around the world.  #China #Military #WSJ

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00:00This is believed to be the site of the world's largest military command center

00:05under construction on the edges of the Chinese capital, Beijing.

00:09At 1,500 acres, it is ten times the size of the Pentagon,

00:13and its development is happening as China ramps up its armed forces modernization program.

00:18Once it's completed, this could accelerate the PLA's efforts to become a much more modern,

00:24capable and lethal military.

00:26Here's why China is modernizing its military,

00:29and how this new megabase could reshape the global security landscape.

00:34Its sheer size has led some experts to describe the complex as a military city.

00:40Beijing has not publicly revealed what is being built,

00:43but analysts believe it will be used as a command center for the People's Liberation Army or PLA.

00:49Projects of this size are usually of strategic importance.

00:53It will have functions similar to the Pentagon.

00:56That means it will be a building that will house large numbers of staffers

01:01who will be in charge of supplying, administering and managing the Chinese military.

01:07Perhaps some intelligence functions, there could be some training facilities.

01:11Satellite images of the construction site reveal that China is building underground.

01:16They're digging quite deep. This suggests a bunker that can be used for leadership and military purposes,

01:23and to protect people in the bunker from bombs, missile strikes, and potentially even nuclear strikes.

01:29China has a longstanding policy called no first use, meaning it won't be the first side to launch nuclear weapons.

01:37In the event of a conflict, China may have to be postured to receive the first strike.

01:44Analysts believe that the military city will replace China's current main command center,

01:48located in the Western Hills area near Beijing, and which dates back to the 1950s.

01:54It's very possible that these facilities were built to a standard of protection that may have been

02:00acceptable in the Cold War, but given the power of modern-day munitions, including bunker-busting munitions,

02:08they may not afford effective protection today.

02:12China's foreign ministry referred questions to the defense ministry, which didn't reply to a request for comment.

02:18Analysts believe the construction of the military city also marks a shift in Beijing's defensive strategy.

02:26Chinese military hope to become a military that is as modern as military such as that of the United

02:32States, NATO countries, Russia. If they can do this, the Chinese military will become much more

02:38lethal on the battlefield.

02:40The project also reflects a change in the command structure of the PLA.

02:44This is a new push under Xi Jinping, and the idea is that the military should have

02:49all the services working together as one cohesive team. That requires a high degree of cooperation,

02:55communication and planning. This building with many co-located offices could help facilitate that.

03:00The PLA's transformation drive has raised alarms in the US. The Department of Defense warns that China

03:06will continue to rapidly modernize, including expanding its nuclear forces. As of last year,

03:13Beijing was believed to have had more than 600 operational nuclear warheads. The US estimates

03:19this will grow to more than 1,000 by 2030. The overall instability of the international system is

03:26an important factor. The conflict is spreading, so given a much more unstable and uncertain

03:31international environment, and given Chinese tensions with the US, there are strong incentives for

03:38Beijing to want to enhance its military preparedness. Figures show that China's defense budget will be

03:44around $240 billion this year, making it the second highest spender on defense in the world after the

03:51US. However, analysts at Jane's, a defense and security think tank, believe that the number is closer

03:58to $290 billion. The project comes ahead of the PLA's centennial celebrations in 2027, a date when US

04:07officials believe Xi has instructed his forces to be ready to take Taiwan, an island that Beijing claims

04:14as part of its territory. Analysts also warn that China's new command center could trigger a chain

04:20reaction among nations across the globe. This military city is an enabler and an accelerator of the overall

04:28broader military modernization trends. But whether this really poses a threat to the US will depend on

04:35politics at the end. The US and the Chinese governments, how well can they manage their differences

04:41and how well can they manage their tensions between each other.

China’s New Military city is 10x The U.S Pentagon Size | WSJ Coordinates

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