China has significantly expanded a replica of Taiwan’s government buildings at the Zhurihe training base, located in Inner Mongolia, which is identified as Beijing’s largest military training facility. This development has been reported based on satellite imagery obtained by a Japanese think tank. Initial reports by Japan’s Sankei Shimbun highlighted these findings, which were subsequently referenced by the Taipei Times.
The construction of the replica buildings has been an ongoing process for several years, with China incrementally adding and modifying structures designed to simulate the government district in Taipei. Recent satellite imagery has revealed that the complex has nearly tripled in size since 2020. Notably, a 280-meter (approximately 920-foot) underground tunnel has been established, connecting a mock presidential office to a replica of the Judicial Yuan, Taiwan’s highest judicial authority.
This initiative is part of a broader program that has been active for roughly a decade, demonstrating a marked increase in military preparations aimed at simulating scenarios related to Taiwan. In August, for example, renewed activity was detected at the Zhurihe base, where satellite images captured the presence of armored vehicles and roadblocks around the mock presidential office, indicating preparations for urban warfare drills.
Moreover, a new structure resembling Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense Reserve Command was completed between 2023 and 2024. This follows previous observations in 2022 when satellite images showed the People’s Liberation Army conducting urban warfare exercises at the Zhurihe base. These exercises involved the use of armored vehicles and included simulations of street defenses, with brigade-sized units engaging in mock combat near the replica presidential office.
In a notable use of these replicas, reports in 2022 indicated that China employed models of a Taiwanese port and warship as targets for ballistic missile testing, further emphasizing the strategic and military implications of these developments. The ongoing expansion of the Zhurihe training base reflects China’s intensified focus on military readiness and its approach toward Taiwan amidst rising tensions in the region.
