Free Republic

China is not just building replicas of US warships. Satellite images analysed by The Telegraph reveal it is also building models of fighter jets, naval bases and Taiwanese presidential buildings. Beijing has been using these models to test its ever-growing stockpile of long-range weapons and new AI systems as it prepares to take control of Taiwan – a top priority of Xi Jinping, the Chinese president.The accuracy of the replicas “signals a highly specific focus on potential adversaries rather than generic capability building”....SNIPChina’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has also built to-scale models of Taiwan’s presidential office and key government buildings...

SASEBO NAVAL BASE, Japan — Yokosuka Naval Base resembled a ghost town with all but one ship out to sea, a visitor commented early this week. Yokosuka ships have orders to the U.S. Central Command area in support of a possible mission in Iraq, or are elsewhere “at sea,” according to a 7th Fleet spokesman. The USS Kitty Hawk recently left for the Persian Gulf, as did the USS Cowpens, USS Vandegrift and USS John McCain. And on Wednesday, Lt. j.g. Marc Boyd said the USS Vincennes, USS Chancellorsville, USS O’Brien and USS Cushing are also under way, though the...