Satellite photos show that mainland China has been expanding and strengthening three air bases in Fujian province facing Taiwan since 2020, Chinese media reported Oct. 15, citing the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.
The analysis suggests that Beijing may be stepping up its plans to “seize Taiwan by force.
The satellite photos were reportedly taken by Planet Labs and first published by U.S. technology and military website The Drive.
The photos show that work on aircraft shelters and enhanced munitions storage began in early 2020 and continued uninterrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a satellite photo taken Oct. 2, work including the expansion and upgrade of air defense positions, runways, aprons and shelters is underway at Longtian Air Base in Fujian, with four reinforced hangars under construction, all directly connected to the runway for rapid evacuation.
Similar construction work has been found at the nearby Hui’an base, which is 300 kilometers from the Jia Shan base in Hualien, Taiwan, where the Taiwanese military has its largest underground air defense shelter and conceals a large number of aircraft.
A new surface-to-air missile defense base has also been added in Zhangzhou, home to the air force command of China’s Eastern Theater.
Experts believe these improvements to the Chinese military will support the air war, but will also strengthen defenses against potential strikes from Taiwan’s military.
According to Macau military expert Antony Wong Tong, the two air bases in Fujian could play different roles in the PLA’s plans for a potential war against Taiwan, with Longtian Airport looking set to be used as a backup airfield after extensive renovations, and Hui’an Air Base being able to accommodate a full air brigade.
Lu Li-Shih, a former instructor at Taiwan’s Kaohsiung Naval Academy, said the PLA’s air raid shelters, hangars and other fortification projects are designed to respond to potential “source strikes” by the Taiwanese military in the event of war across the Taiwan Strait.
According to Lu Li-Shih, the upgrades and expansion of not only the three air bases but also other air and rocket bases along China’s southeastern coast and in various provinces indicate that Beijing has stepped up its combat preparations for “unification of Taiwan.”