China building 'secret' desert airbase to fast-track next-gen military aircraft

China is expanding a flight-test facility in its western desert to fast track the development of its next-generation military aircraft as Beijing and Washington compete for air-power dominance.Satellite imagery of the Lop Nur facility in Xinjiang shows the construction of four large hangars, new taxiways, a circular pad believed to be used for engine testing or aircraft turnaround, and possible fuel-storage infrastructure, according to the South China Morning Post.The expansion comes as China pursues multiple advanced combat-aircraft programmes at once, potentially giving it greater capacity to test sensitive designs and conduct simultaneous flight-test programmes away from routine observation.Retired US Navy intelligence officer J Michael Dahm, a senior fellow for aerospace and China studies at the Mitchell Institute told South China Morning Post, said the buildout began around August 2025.