The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has continued building full-scale replicas of key Taiwanese, U.S., and Japanese military and government facilities at training sites across China, according to The Telegraph’s analysis of recent satellite imagery.
These include Taiwan’s Presidential Office Building, the Bo’ai Special District, the Su’ao Naval Base, Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, and Japan’s Yokosuka Naval Base. The replicas are reportedly used as training grounds for missile strikes, ground assault operations, and joint combat exercises.
Several military experts believe that the scale, precision, and specificity of these mock facilities are unprecedented, indicating that Beijing is steadily enhancing its overall capability for military operations against Taiwan and for broader regional conflicts.
Citing The Telegraph satellite imagery analysis, the U.S. publication Business Insider reported that, in addition to constructing mock-ups of U.S. warships and air bases, the PLA has also built highly accurate replicas of Taiwan’s key government buildings, enabling troops to conduct exercises in conditions that closely resemble actual combat.
Analysts interviewed by The Telegraph and the Business Insider note that, as China has rapidly advanced its long-range missile capabilities, hypersonic weapons, and military applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years, these mock facilities have become important platforms for validating weapon performance, rehearsing joint operations, and testing strike procedures.
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Presidential office and Bo’ai District replicated for assault drills
Satellite imagery shows that the PLA has constructed at least two mock versions of Taipei’s Bo’ai Special District, including replicas of key government buildings such as the Presidential Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and judicial institutions.
One of the mock facilities, located at the PLA’s Zhurihe Combined Tactics Training Base in Inner Mongolia, first appeared around 2014 and has primarily been used by ground forces to rehearse assault operations. In 2015, Chinese state media publicly released footage showing PLA troops conducting assault drills in front of the replica of Taiwan’s Presidential Office Building.
A newer replica has since been constructed in the Inner Mongolian desert. In addition to recreating key government buildings, it closely replicates the surrounding road network, city block dimensions, and intersection angles of central Taipei. This suggests that the PLA’s training has expanded beyond rehearsing attacks on individual buildings to practicing urban warfare and control of city blocks.
The report also noted that satellite imagery from last year revealed China had built an approximately 280-kilometer underground tunnel system linking several of these government-building replicas. Analysts believe the network may be intended to simulate wartime scenarios in which Taiwan’s senior government officials evacuate through underground facilities.
Su’ao and Yokosuka naval bases used as missile strike targets
In addition to government facilities, the PLA has also constructed realistic replicas of Taiwan’s Su’ao Naval Base and Japan’s Yokosuka Naval Base.
Satellite imagery shows that the Su’ao base mock-up includes a model of a U.S.-made Kidd-class guided-missile destroyer moored within the harbor. Live-fire tests reportedly conducted in 2022 struck dock facilities as well as what analysts believe to be a missile guidance calibration device.
The Yokosuka base replica faithfully reproduces the layout of the harbor and contains models of several warships. After analyzing the imagery, Thomas Shugart, a former U.S. Navy submarine commander and now a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), said that many of the mock vessels showed impact craters and signs of damage, suggesting they had been repeatedly struck by ballistic missiles to assess strike effectiveness.
Ching Chuan Kang base replica reflects long-range strike capability
The PLA has also constructed a replica of Taiwan’s Ching Chuan Kang Air Base. The facility dates back to 2002, making it one of the earliest known military mock-ups related to Taiwan.
Damien Symon, a geospatial intelligence researcher at The Intel Lab, said that evidence of missile impacts on multiple mock facilities indicates that China has developed a highly mature long-range precision strike capability, rather than merely conducting short-range weapons testing.
He assessed that the exercises may involve long-range and hypersonic missile systems, including the DF-27 intermediate-range ballistic missile, the YJ-17, and the YJ-21 anti-ship missile.
Ministry of National Defense: Closely monitoring PLA activities while building asymmetric defense capabilities
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said it had fully assessed intelligence concerning the PLA’s replicas of the Presidential Office Building and Su’ao Naval Base and was developing appropriate responses to possible Chinese military actions. Ministry spokesperson Sun Li-fang said the facilities highlighted the severity of the threat facing Taiwan and called for public support for sufficient defence funding.
Responding to reports by The Telegraph and Business Insider, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said it had a full grasp of intelligence concerning the PLA’s construction of replicas of Taiwanese military and government facilities. The ministry said it continues to monitor Chinese military activities and develop appropriate responses to possible threats.
The MND said that, in the face of China’s continued military expansion and increasing military pressure on Taiwan, the armed forces will continue to strengthen defense resilience, asymmetric warfare capabilities, and reserve force reforms. It will also enhance overall deterrence by integrating joint air and naval operations, air defense missile systems, anti-ship missiles, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and the whole-of-society defense framework, the Taipei Times reported.
The ministry has also repeatedly emphasized that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait serve the common interests of the region, and that any unilateral attempt to alter the status quo or escalate military threats would undermine regional security.
Spokesperson of Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense Major General Sun Li-fang (孫立方) while responding to the Telegraph report on July 27 said Taiwan has “a comprehensive understanding” of the replicas by PLA’s through its intelligence reports.
“The disclosure of this information reminds us that the threats we face today are extremely serious,” Sun said, according to the Taipei Times.
He affirmed that the Taiwanese armed forces have regularly planned for all anticipated possible Chinese military action against the island and has created safeguards.
United States and Japan continue to monitor Taiwan Strait security
In recent years, the United States has repeatedly reaffirmed its opposition to any unilateral attempt by either side to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait through the use of force or coercion. It has also reiterated its commitment to Taiwan’s security in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act and longstanding U.S. policy.
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) has consistently stated that the frequency, scale, and complexity of the PLA’s military activities around Taiwan have continued to increase in recent years, and that the U.S. military will work together with its allies to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific and maintain regional stability.
The Japanese government has consistently stated that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are not only vital to Japan’s national security, but also to the shared interests of the international community. In recent years, Japan has strengthened its defensive posture in the Southwestern Islands and deepened joint operational planning and command coordination with the U.S. military in response to the evolving regional security environment.
Experts: Military exercises also serve as strategic signaling
For The Telegraph, Thomas Shugart analyzed that these highly realistic mock facilities serve not only as training grounds for military personnel but also as a clear instrument of strategic communication.
They signal to Japan that its military bases could become targets in a future conflict, demonstrate to the United States the potential risks of intervening in a Taiwan Strait contingency, and show Taiwan that the PLA is continually rehearsing operations to seize the capital and other key government facilities.
Analysts believe that, as China continues to strengthen its missile forces, artificial intelligence capabilities, and joint combat operations, these military mock-ups represent more than routine training.
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