China has constructed an extensive network of life-size military and government replicas, including mock-ups of U.S. and Taiwanese warships, military bases, and government buildings, according to satellite imagery analyzed by defense researchers, in what analysts say appears to be preparation for a potential conflict over Taiwan.

The satellite images, analyzed by The Telegraph and independent researchers, show replicas of Taiwan's presidential office, foreign ministry, and judiciary, as well as Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan, home to the U.S. Navy's forward-deployed forces.

Defense analysts said the sites appear designed to help the People's Liberation Army test long-range precision weapons and rehearse strikes against critical military and political targets that could play key roles in a conflict over the self-governed island.

"The accuracy of the replicas 'signals a highly specific focus on potential adversaries rather than generic capability building,'" Damien Symon, a geo-intelligence researcher at The Intel Lab, told the outlet.

The findings add to growing concerns about China's military modernization and preparations for a possible invasion or blockade of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory despite the island's self-governing status.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly declared that Taiwan must eventually be brought under Beijing's control and has refused to rule out the use of force.

Researchers said China has also constructed a full-scale replica of Taiwan's government district, allowing troops to practice operations in a realistic urban environment.

"They're basically creating replicas to provide them with the ability to maneuver through there on a training operation as though they were standing in Taipei," said Sean O'Connor, lead satellite image analyst at Janes.

Satellite imagery reviewed by analysts also identified impact craters and damaged ship models at several sites, suggesting the replicas have been repeatedly used during missile tests.

"These aren't close-range, controlled demonstrations. You're looking at missile launches from kilometres away ... That alone points to credible long-range strike capability," Symon said.

Former Taiwanese naval officer Lu Li-shih said the inclusion of a replica of Yokosuka Naval Base underscored China's recognition of the installation's importance in any regional conflict.

"If China attacked Taiwan, the Yokosuka Naval Base would presumably be involved, so they include a model of Yokosuka for anti-access aerial denial drills," Lu said.

Thomas Shugart, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, said the replicas of Taipei's government district appeared intended to simulate the seizure of Taiwan's political leadership.

The construction amounts to a "rehearsal," he said.

"It's messaging to Japan that 'if there's a fight, you're going to be in it.' It's messaging to the U.S. that 'if you try to intervene, we're going to strike your bases' and messaging to Taiwan that 'we are practicing to take your capital,'" Shugart said.

China has long used military mock-ups for training, but analysts said the growing scale, realism, and diversity of the targets reflect increasingly sophisticated planning for precision strikes and joint operations.

The report comes as Beijing continues regular military activity around Taiwan. Taiwan's Defense Ministry has reported repeated deployments of Chinese warships and aircraft near the island in recent days, with Taiwanese forces monitoring the movements and responding with air, naval, and coastal missile assets.

The United States maintains a policy of providing Taiwan with defensive weapons under the Taiwan Relations Act while opposing unilateral changes to the status quo. U.S. defense officials have repeatedly warned that China's rapidly expanding military capabilities are intended to give Beijing credible options to coerce or use force against Taiwan, raising concerns throughout the Indo-Pacific region and among U.S. allies, including Japan.