US concerned about China's faster-than-expected nuclear development
(Baonghean.vn) - The Pentagon said in a report released on November 3 that China is expanding its nuclear arsenal much faster than expected.
China could have 700 delivered nuclear warheads by 2027 and could reach 1,000 by 2030, the report said — an arsenal 2.5 times the size the Pentagon predicted just a year ago. The report noted that China “is investing in and expanding the number of land-, sea-, and air-based nuclear systems and building the infrastructure necessary to support its expanding nuclear force.”
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| Dongfeng-41 nuclear missile system. Photo: THX |
The assessment was made in the US Department of Defense’s annual report to Congress on China’s military advances. Like the US and Russia, the world’s two leading nuclear powers, China is building a “nuclear triad” with the ability to integrate nuclear weapons on land-based, air-based and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
The report also said China likely does not seek the ability to launch a surprise attack on a nuclear-armed adversary—primarily the United States—but rather to deter attack by maintaining the threat of nuclear retaliation. A year ago, the Pentagon’s China report said the country had about 200 deployable nuclear warheads and would double that number by 2030.
In a report published also on November 3, the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) - a non-profit organization founded by scientists who researched the first atomic bomb - revealed satellite images showing that China is implementing the construction of hundreds of missile silos capable of launching nuclear weapons.
“For China, this is an unprecedented nuclear buildup,” write researchers Matt Korda and Hans Kristensen. A US defense official called the buildup “deeply troubling” and “raises questions about China’s intentions,” and called on Beijing to be more transparent about its nuclear force development.
The Pentagon has declared China the primary security threat of the future, as Beijing pledges to build the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) into a “world-class force” by 2049. US-China hostility has raised concerns about the risk of conflict between the two countries, especially over Taiwan, the democratic island that China claims as its own but enjoys strong US backing.
China's rapid military modernization effort aims to ensure it has the capacity by 2027 to overcome any obstacles to retaking Taiwan, either by force or military means, a new US report says.