Avast ye scurvy dogs! China be a-raisin' the number o' their nuclear weapons faster than a cannonball! Arr, tis' be doublin' by 2030, says the blowin' wind from the Pentagon!
2023-10-21
Yarrr, me hearties! Avast ye! The noble Pentagon be sayin' that China be lookin' to double their nuclear booty to a grand tally of 1,000 warheads by 2030! Aye, they be raisin' the stakes in this game o' nuclear plunder, mateys!
China is expected to double its number of nuclear warheads from over 500 to more than 1,000 by 2030, surpassing earlier projections, according to the Pentagon's annual report on China's military growth. The report also states that China's evolving military capabilities and concepts are strengthening its ability to fight and win wars against a strong enemy, counter intervention by a third party in conflicts along its periphery, and project power globally. The Chinese Communist Party aims to have a world-class military by 2049. The report suggests that China will likely use its new fast breeder reactors and reprocessing facilities to produce plutonium for its nuclear weapons program, despite claiming that these technologies are intended for peaceful purposes.The Chinese military is also developing new intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that will significantly improve its nuclear-capable missile forces and may be exploring the development of conventionally-armed intercontinental range missile systems that could threaten conventional strikes against targets in the continental United States. The Pentagon notes that Russia's war in Ukraine presented an unexpected challenge for China, as it deliberates the scale and scope of material commitments to Russia while seeking to balance its strategic partnership and avoid reputational or economic costs.
China already possesses the world's largest navy, having increased its number of ships from 340 to 370 since last year. It is expected to further increase its number of ships to 435 by 2030. In response to the Pentagon report, China's foreign ministry spokesperson criticized it for ignoring facts, displaying prejudice, and spreading theories of the threat posed by China. The spokesperson emphasized that China's nuclear weapons are not a threat unless a country uses or threatens to use nuclear weapons against China.