"They force the United States to target silos that may not be empty."Silo MadnessReports last month claimed that China had built 119 missile silos in a desert close to Yumen, in northwest China. Satellite images revealed a vast desert expanse marked by individual silos.The New York Times reports that the Chinese government is now digging another field with 110 silos to launch nuclear missiles. This is a worrying sign of China's growing nuclear arsenal and capabilities.Arms RaceHowever, there are many questions that remain unanswered. It is not known if these two fields can launch or hold nuclear missiles. There is still the possibility that some of these fields are decoys.China's president Xi Jinping has made aggressive moves to clamp down on dissent. This includes the use of cyberweapons as well as claiming control over Hong Kong. The NYT reports. This could also indicate a new and extremely dangerous arms race.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe JonesesAccording to The Times, silos could be seen as an attempt by Russia to match its arsenal and military superpower status.Another possibility is that China may be trying to confuse its adversaries by creating many targets.According to Hans Kristensen, an arms expert, it is not crazy. They force the United States to target silos that may not be empty.READ MORE: China's 2nd Nuclear Missile Base and Other Questions about Strategy [The New York Times]AdvertisementAdvertisementMore silos: China is building 119 mysterious missile silos in the desert
