USA: “very worrying”
China is ahead of schedule in expanding its nuclear weapons
October 19, 2023, 8:23 p.m
Compared to the USA and Russia, China is almost a dwarf when it comes to nuclear warheads. But it is catching up – and faster than expected, reports the Pentagon. This is causing massive concern for the USA, especially in view of Beijing’s increasing aggressiveness in the Indo-Pacific.
According to the US government, China is expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than expected. As of May, China had “more than 500 operational nuclear warheads” and is on track to “exceed previous expectations,” the US Department of Defense writes in a report on Chinese armed forces. By 2030, China is expected to have more than 1,000 operational nuclear warheads.
The development does not represent a “very big change” from previous forecasts, a Pentagon official said. But China is on track to exceed previous predictions. This is “very worrying” for the USA. According to the report, China under President Xi Jinping is also pushing ahead with the expansion and modernization of its armed forces.
According to the International Peace Research Institute in Stockholm (SIPRI) in June, the USA has around 3,700 operational nuclear warheads, while Russia has around 4,500. SIPRI gave the number for China as 410.
The government of US President Joe Biden sees the militarily, economically and politically emerging China as the greatest geopolitical challenge in the world. Most recently, the US Department of Defense denounced aggressive flight maneuvers by Chinese fighter jets against US aircraft in the Indo-Pacific.