They built a model of streets in Taiwan: Is China preparing for an invasion?

Satellite imagery shows that China has built a replica of the roads surrounding the Presidential Office in Taiwan's capital at a desert training site.

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12PUNTO FOREIGN NEWS

Satellite imagery has documented that China has built a model of roads in a key area of Taiwan's capital, where the presidential office and other government buildings are located, at a military training site in the desert.

Images of the mock target, located in the desert in the Alxa region of Inner Mongolia in northern China, began circulating on social media earlier this week. Taiwanese defense analyst Joseph Wen published a map comparison of the actual area in Taipei alongside the satellite image on Monday.

Wen stated that China had previously constructed a replica of the Taiwanese President's office building at what appears to be an aerial bombardment and artillery training site.

According to a report by Business Insider, the model has been in the area since at least 2022.

Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng held a press conference after the images emerged to answer questions from journalists. Cheng said that any country could conduct exercises by imitating the facilities of other countries, and that the Taiwanese military could also conduct similar exercises.

China has previously been seen building models of US aircraft carriers.

Military drills and exercises conducted by building models are not considered entirely unusual military activity.