Sébastien Le Belzic, edited by Manon Fossat
The Chinese regime announced Tuesday that it intends to continue modernizing its nuclear arsenal. Faced with the United States and Russia, which together possess more than 90% of the planet’s nuclear weapons, China puts forward questions of reliability and security.
China said on Tuesday it would continue to modernize its nuclear arsenal over reliability and security issues. But at the same time, she calls on Moscow and Washington to reduce their stocks of atomic weapons, the most important in the world.
The five permanent members of the UN Security Council are committed to preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, but for China the balance of power is only possible if it can continue to modernize its arsenal. The United States has 5,550 nuclear weapons, compared to only 350 for China.
The unrivaled arsenal of the United States and Russia
Washington regularly accuses Beijing of rapidly strengthening its arsenal, which Chinese diplomacy spokesman Wang Wenbin refutes. “China has always adhered to the self-defense policy, pursued the policy of non-use of nuclear weapons and maintained its nuclear forces at the lowest level required in order to preserve national security,” he said.
According to Washington, Beijing is currently building 300 new launch pads and would seek to acquire at least 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030. A figure far from equaling the arsenal of the United States and Russia, which have between them more than 90% of the nuclear weapons on the planet. One more reason for China to continue modernizing its armaments.