New satellite imagery is raising fresh questions about the scale and speed of China’s nuclear buildup just as Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with President Donald Trump in Washington.

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An investigation of satellite images reportedly found active construction at seven sites connected to China’s nuclear weapons program, ranging from research and weapons-production facilities to testing areas. The findings add to longstanding U.S. concerns about Beijing’s expanding arsenal and come as the Trump administration pushes for China to participate in a new generation of nuclear arms-control agreements. Independent nuclear researchers have likewise documented significant ongoing construction at China’s Lop Nur nuclear test site.

From The Daily Wire:

Satellite image analysis published by The Telegraph on Wednesday revealed that seven nuclear sites — Pingtong, Zitong, Lop Nur, Jiuquan, Mianyang, Jinta, and Guangyuan — are expanding rapidly. Chinese villages and farms have reportedly been flattened for a site where Chinese scientists use super-powered lasers to test how different materials react when a nuclear bomb explodes.

Earlier this year, the United States confronted Beijing about a “secret nuclear test” conducted in 2020. Chinese ambassador Shen Jian responded to the accusations, saying the United States “is the culprit for the aggravation of the arms race.” He added, “China notes that the U.S. continues in its statement to hype up the so-called China nuclear threat. China firmly opposes such false narratives.”

U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno said China “sought to conceal testing by obfuscating the nuclear explosions because it recognized these tests violate test ban commitments.”

The new construction is part of a much broader transformation of China’s nuclear capabilities. The Federation of American Scientists estimates that China now possesses roughly 620 nuclear warheads and is producing additional warheads for future weapons systems. Researchers have also identified continued development of intercontinental ballistic missile silos and other strategic delivery systems.

Questions about China’s nuclear intentions intensified in February when DiNanno publicly accused Beijing of conducting a secret nuclear explosive test on June 22, 2020. He alleged that China used a technique known as “decoupling” to make the explosion more difficult for seismic monitoring systems to detect. China denied the accusation. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization said at the time that its monitoring system had not detected evidence supporting the U.S. allegation, while independent experts cautioned that publicly available seismic evidence alone may not conclusively establish what occurred.

The nuclear question has taken on added importance following the expiration of New START in February. The treaty had placed limits on deployed strategic nuclear weapons belonging to the United States and Russia, but the Trump administration has argued that the changing nuclear landscape requires a broader framework that includes China. DiNanno told the Conference on Disarmament that a bilateral agreement covering only one other nuclear power is no longer sufficient for the threats facing the United States. Beijing, meanwhile, has resisted joining trilateral negotiations, pointing to the substantial difference between its arsenal and those maintained by Washington and Moscow.

All of this provides an important backdrop to Xi’s meeting with President Trump. Even if nuclear arms are not the central subject of their discussions, China’s military expansion will remain a consequential issue in the relationship between the two nations. The decisions made by these leaders could affect not only America and China, but global security for decades to come. Let’s pray that President Trump and his advisers have wisdom and discernment in dealing with China, that hidden threats would be brought into the light, and that America’s leaders would pursue policies that protect our nation while guarding against catastrophic conflict.

Share your prayers and scriptures for President Trump and America’s relationship with China in the comments.

(Excerpt from The Daily Wire. Photo Credit: Andy Lee/Pexels)