In a recent Defense Department report, it has been revealed that China has made significant strides in expanding its nuclear arsenal, with plans to double its operational nuclear warheads by the end of the decade. This surpasses previous estimates and underscores China’s ambitious efforts to establish a nuclear weapons capability on par with the United States.
The report, part of a comprehensive assessment of China’s military advancements in the past year, highlights the substantial progress in Beijing’s multi-decade strategy to build a formidable nuclear weapons inventory. A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity as per Pentagon guidelines, emphasized that China’s current activities far exceed what it was doing a decade ago, both in terms of scale and complexity. The report also notes China’s investments in land, sea, and air-based nuclear delivery platforms and the associated infrastructure to support the expansion of its nuclear forces.
China has consistently maintained that its nuclear weapons program is solely for deterrence purposes and that it adheres to a “no first use” doctrine, committing to using nuclear weapons only in response to a nuclear attack.
In response to the report, Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, reiterated China’s commitment to a defensive nuclear strategy, emphasizing that the country’s nuclear capabilities are maintained at the minimum level required for national security, with no intention of targeting any specific nation. Liu voiced opposition to the portrayal of the “China threat” narrative and unfounded allegations by the U.S.
Beyond nuclear concerns, the Pentagon report also addresses the deteriorating communication between the military leadership of China and the United States in 2023. This deterioration comes amidst a significant expansion of Chinese military capabilities and multiple concerning incidents involving close encounters between U.S. and Chinese military aircraft in the South China Sea.
The report highlights China’s growing navy, which now boasts 370 ships and submarines, up from around 340 the previous year. Notably, China’s third aircraft carrier, Fujian, features advanced aircraft-launching technology, marking a departure from its older Soviet-style ships.
The Pentagon has documented 180 close encounters between Chinese fighter jets and U.S. reconnaissance planes in the two years since fall 2021, posing an increased risk of accidents and crises.
The report also touches on other aspects of the country’s military expansion, including the construction of missile silo fields, developments in bioweapons programs, and efforts to establish overseas military bases in addition to known locations in Djibouti and Cambodia.
China’s defense spending has continued to rise, with significant investments in cutting-edge technology and combat readiness. However, internal turmoil has emerged in the country’s senior military leadership, raising questions about the direction of its military strategy.
Despite the growing weapons arsenal and increasing close encounters, Chinese military leadership has reportedly resisted efforts to establish military communication channels, leading to concerns about the lack of substantive discussions in diplomatic engagements.
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