Pentagon Warns of Rapid Strengthening of China's Nuclear Power
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The Pentagon claims China's number of nuclear warheads may jump to 700 within 6 years.
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Intercontinental ballistic missiles as part of a former military parade in Beijing
The Pentagon released a report on Wednesday, that warned of China building up its nuclear power faster than the US officials predicted a year ago, highlighting Beijing's military efforts to match or surpass US global power by mid-century.
According to the Associated Press (AP), in the report, the Pentagon detailed that the number of nuclear warheads owned by China may jump to 700 within six years, and to 1000 by 2030.
Interestingly, the report did not mention how many warheads China holds today. A year ago, the Pentagon claimed the number was in the "low 200s", and was likely to double by the end of the decade.
By comparison, Washington has nearly 3,750 nuclear warheads, with no plans to increase that number. In 2003 Washington possessed nearly 10,000 nuclear warheads.
The Pentagon report does not mention an open conflict with China, but it is consistent with the American narrative about China's military and its intent to challenge the US in all domains of combat- air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace.
The report stated that “The People’s Liberation Army (PLA's) evolving capabilities and concepts continue to strengthen (China’s) ability to ‘fight and win wars against a ‘strong enemy’ — a likely euphemism for the United States.”
Also mentioned in the report was China's capability of subjugating Taiwan, which China says is an integral part of its territory.
Biden: not concerned about the possibility of war with China
US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he is not concerned about the possibility of an armed conflict with China.
China conducted a test of a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August that circled the globe before rushing towards its target, revealing its sophisticated space capability that caught US intelligence off guard.
The Pentagon's top general Mark Milley previously expressed that China's recent test of an earth-circling hypersonic missile was similar to the Soviet Union's launch of the world's first satellite, Sputnik, in 1957.
