China Expands War Simulations: Satellite Images Show New Mock Taiwan Govt Buildings At PLA Base

Beijing has expanded its Taiwan war simulations by constructing new mock-ups of Taipei’s government buildings at a key People’s Liberation Army (PLA) base in Inner Mongolia, according to a new satellite image analysis by a Japanese think tank. The move suggests increasingly systematic training for a potential assault across the Taiwan Strait.

Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun reported that the Japan Institute for National Fundamentals (JINF) analyzed recent satellite imagery showing the completion of a “mock Judicial Yuan”— Taiwan’s top court — at the PLA’s Zhurihe training base.

What do the findings reveal about China’s strategy?

The replica is reportedly connected to a 280-metre underground tunnel and is situated beside a model of Taiwan’s Presidential Office, which was first revealed by Chinese state media in 2015.

The think tank said the PLA has also built structures resembling Taiwan’s Foreign and Defence Ministries over the past few years. “With these additions, the mock presidential office complex has expanded nearly threefold since 2020,” Sankei Shimbun reported.

The findings indicate that China’s military training is increasingly focused on urban warfare and high-value target operations, simulating scenarios for a potential “decapitation strike” on Taiwan’s leadership.

Is this China’s preparation for a prolonged war with Taiwan?

Satellite images from July 2022 showed PLA forces erecting roadblocks around the mock presidential compound and Foreign Ministry before armoured vehicles advanced into the area.

A month later, images captured what appeared to be a brigade-sized formation conducting simulated engagements with a defending force — exercises that, analysts say, continue today.

Maki Nakagawa, a researcher at JINF, told Sankei that the PLA had “rapidly renovated” the Zhurihe base to enable more “combat-oriented training.” Nakagawa said the underground tunnels suggest Beijing is preparing for prolonged engagements and symbolic strikes on Taiwan’s political centres.

“The goal is to pressure Taiwan and demonstrate that even with tunnels, there’s no escape route,” Nakagawa was quoted as saying.

How did Taiwan react to the developments?

Taiwan’s Defence Minister Wellington Koo confirmed on October 3, 2025, that Taipei was aware of the developments and had made counter-preparations against any potential “decapitation operation,” but declined to share operational details.

Cross-strait tensions have intensified since President William Lai Ching-te took office last year, with Beijing accusing his administration of pushing pro-independence narratives.

On China’s National Day this week, President Xi Jinping reaffirmed opposition to “separatist activities seeking Taiwan independence” and vowed to safeguard “national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

What does China’s Zhurihe base host?

The Zhurihe base, located about 400 km northwest of Beijing, is the PLA’s largest and most sophisticated combined-arms training facility. It has long been used to simulate real combat conditions and urban warfare.

In 2015, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV aired footage of PLA troops storming a replica of Taiwan’s five-storey Presidential Office Building during live-fire drills.

While Beijing maintains that peaceful reunification remains its goal, it has not ruled out the use of force. The PLA’s increasing focus on simulated operations against Taiwan — including amphibious assaults and mock strikes — underscores the growing risk of conflict in one of Asia’s most volatile flashpoints.