Satellite imagery captured between 2022 and 2026 has revealed a significant expansion of Beijing's nuclear buildup in Sichuan Province, southwest China, reflecting Beijing's ambitions in an era of intensifying superpower rivalry, The New York Times reported on 15 February.China's nuclear expansionOne such nuclear facility site lies near Zitong in Sichuan Province, where engineers have constructed new bunkers and reinforced ramparts. A newly built complex, lined with an array of pipes, indicates the facility is designed to handle highly hazardous materials.Another valley houses a double-fenced facility known as Pingtong, where experts believe China is producing plutonium cores for nuclear warheads. The…