The images, obtained by the Financial Times, suggest major construction of the project began in mid-2024, as the People’s Liberation Army gears up for its centenary in 2027.

Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, has repeatedly warned that he intends to annex Taiwan by then, posing a major threat to the US, which relies on Taipei for its supply of microchips.

Dennis Wilder, the former head of China analysis for the CIA, said that if verified, the new complex signalled Beijing’s intention to develop its “advanced nuclear war-fighting capability”.