An aerial photo taken on March 17, 2018 shows "Deep Pit Hotel" in Shanghai's Songjiang District under construction. (Photo: GT)

Chinese political advisors have proposed that China develop and construct underground infrastructure including military shelters, science bases and residential projects.

The proposal, made by the China Association for Promoting Democracy (CAPD) at the ongoing session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said China has 20 billion cubic meters of underground space worth 15 trillion yuan ($2.24 trillion), but China lacks comprehensive plans, policies or regulations. 

China has started developing its underground space relatively late and required a coordination mechanism, the proposal reads. 

Currently, most underground development has been shallow, and development at greater depths has not been well explored, according to the proposal.

In the 12 years between 2005 and 2017, China has only built 25 underground natural gas storage facilities, storing 1.7 percent of natural gas consumption, the proposal said. The country needs to build an additional 122 such facilities to achieve the world average of 10 percent, it said.

China's underground tunnels, caverns and city drainage systems are also outdated, restricting urbanization and impacting ecological and resource security, said the proposal, noting that there are too few research facilities developing technologies to support such development.

The proposal pointed out that in the US, subways and underground parking places can provide shelters in case of a war or disaster.

The proposal warned that major Chinese cities including Beijing and Shanghai are listed as targets of strategic strikes.

If China properly utilizes and develops underground space, it could also provide high-quality living environments and create vast job opportunities, the proposal noted.

The proposal suggests that China should add underground space development into its national strategy and work out a comprehensive construction plan as soon as possible.

Key research projects should also be organized, and a technological system should be created focusing on national defense logistics, construction and mobilization, it said.

As a non-communist party, the CAPD, founded in 1945, mainly consists of intellectuals working in the fields of culture, education, publishing, and science, the Xinhua News Agency reported.