Recently, the People’s Liberation Army of China conducted two major military exercises simultaneously in different parts of the country. In the east, an airborne battalion conducted military exercises that were interpreted as preparation for a potential attack on Taiwan.

At the same time, chemical defense and engineering support exercises were conducted in the Xinjiang region. Some of these activities suggest preparation not only for regional conflicts, but also for scenarios involving weapons of mass destruction.

These exercises demonstrate the strategic importance of China’s northwest regions, where many of the country’s nuclear facilities are located. For example, in 2021, The Washington Post reported on the construction of 119 suspected missile silos near Yumen in Gansu province, and in 2022, The New York Times cited satellite images that showed another 110 suspected silos under construction near Hami in Xinjiang.

Therefore, if a conflict involving Taiwan were to occur and the US were to intervene, China’s nuclear facilities could become priority targets. Given the current geopolitical situation, China’s recent military exercises appear to have been designed with just such a scenario in mind, including the prospect of nuclear war.