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Ex-CIA analyst finds mysterious Chinese complex on Google Earth

wired.co.uk

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Re: Ex-CIA analyst finds mysterious Chinese complex on Google Earth

#6

Uhhh, why don't they build these underground or camouflage them at all? I find it hard to believe sensitive compounds aren't camouflaged for satellite imagery.

I'd imagine cost. Putting things underground takes a lot of time and costs many times more than putting it above ground. If you need something in a hurry and don't have infinite resources, you really don't want to be digging.

If this is indeed a secret Chinese facility I'd say it's done its job. We know it's there but we haven't the faintest clue what it does. In the modern age of spy satellites, hiding something completely is likely more expensive than ever before, obfuscating it seems like a valid strategy now.

Re: Ex-CIA analyst finds mysterious Chinese complex on Google Earth

#7
The best thing the chinese have got in their desert is a 1:20 model of a section of the india-china border.

http://www.gearthblog.com/images/images706/scalemodel.jpg

http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2006/07/huge_scale_m...

They also have a deserted replica of a typical english town: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_Town

And they recently unveiled an exact replica of a real austrian town: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18327751

The rapid growth over there sure is producing some interesting things.

Re: Ex-CIA analyst finds mysterious Chinese complex on Google Earth

#8

Uhhh, why don't they build these underground or camouflage them at all? I find it hard to believe sensitive compounds aren't camouflaged for satellite imagery.

I'd imagine cost. Putting things underground takes a lot of time and costs many times more than putting it above ground. If you need something in a hurry and don't have infinite resources, you really don't want to be digging. If this is indeed a secret Chinese facility I'd say it's done its job. We know it's there but we haven't the faintest clue what it does. In the modern age of spy satellites, hiding something com…

As someone who visited Wolfschanze Hitler's secret hideout in Poland, (where assasination attempt take place), I can assure you, you don't need to hide a compound under ground, it can be perfectly concealed on the ground in forest, if you really want it to stay invisible.

Re: Ex-CIA analyst finds mysterious Chinese complex on Google Earth

#9

Uhhh, why don't they build these underground or camouflage them at all? I find it hard to believe sensitive compounds aren't camouflaged for satellite imagery.

What if they are not sensitive. Maybe just a waste processing facility or something.

Re: Ex-CIA analyst finds mysterious Chinese complex on Google Earth

#10
There's some interesting stuff near there. Close to the airport there's some sort of campus with what looks like test tracks:

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=39.548+N,+75.996+E

The tracks look designed for either testing cars or teaching advanced driving to police. There are T shaped concrete pads that are stained like people have done millions of three point turns on them or something. The whole complex is a bit odd.

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