We shouldn't be surprised at all. This article from July 2021 reported the construction of an airship hangar:
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...ip-development
My highlighting in the quote below:
China's expansive far western regions are well-suited to hosting facilities to support various kinds of military research and development and test and evaluation activities, as well as ostensibly civilian work that could also have military applications, especially in the air and space arenas. These areas of the country, which are also highly remote, help to keep all of these activities away from prying eyes. As such, they are practically littered with notable or otherwise curious infrastructure.
One particularly interesting facility that appears to have largely escaped public attention, features, among other things, an absolutely massive hangar—you could fit a Nimitz class supercarrier inside with 100 feet to spare on either side—and is situated near other sites associated with missile defense and anti-satellite activities. The hangar clearly has to do with the development of lighter-than-air craft, which could include large unmanned airship designs capable of operating in the upper reaches of the atmosphere.
The airships have been spotted before, as
ORAC mentioned:
https://www.ibtimes.com/unidentified...photos-3649678
Earlier reports based on satellite images have indicated that China has deployed an operational airship in the disputed region, to strengthen its military reconnaissance ability in the South China Sea.
While stratospheric airships fly higher than regular fighter aircraft, their shape and slow speed also make it hard for traditional radars to track and intercept them, enabling airships to pass over areas unopposed to collect surveillance data.
At least two of China's uncrewed solar-powered airships — the Tian Heng and Yuan Meng — have external propulsion and other systems meant for operations at stratospheric altitudes, the War Zone report said.
While the status of the airship projects itself is unclear, the War Zone said in a 2021 report that, based on several satellite images, a huge airship hangar located south of Bosten Lake in China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region had grown significantly since it was first constructed in 2013.
May be China is now deploying them in the northern hemisphere as well. Seems likely.