According to a Pentagon estimate, China wants to double its nuclear stockpile by 2030, indicating a change in Chinese strategy with significant ramifications for the balance of military power.
China Could Increase Its Nuclear Missile Count
In a recently published article in Newsweek, Beijing's development might be a bid to equal or perhaps exceed the United States' worldwide military might. According to the Pentagon, China might grow its nuclear missile count to 700 in six years, with 1,000 possible by 2030.
Consequently, China may be aiming to build a nuclear triad consisting of missiles launched from land, sea, and air. The Pentagon states that the PLA's developing skills and conceptions continue to improve China's capacity to 'fight and win battles against a strong opponent, which is most likely a euphemism for the US.
On the other hand, the US is making little success in countering China's development. The Biden administration is anticipated to stick to its plan to increase Australia's military footprint, which includes providing the country with nuclear-powered submarines, according to a published report in CNN News.
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Latest Report of Pentagon
According to the Pentagon's newest China military power assessment, Beijing is boosting the amount of land, sea, and air-based nuclear delivery systems and building the infrastructure to support this substantial expansion of its nuclear weapons.
The warning comes weeks after the Financial Times reports that China had tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile that US Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley subsequently described as "extremely near" to a "Sputnik moment," alluding to the Soviet Union's 1957 launch of the first artificial satellite.
Additionally, the revelation comes as tensions between the United States and China remain high, fearing a conflict over Taiwan. Some military strategists and specialists in the United States are worried that China is beefing up its nuclear arsenal to restrict American alternatives in the event of a fight.
China Could Take Military Action Against Taiwan in 2027
In a recently published article in CNBC News, according to the Pentagon, China's military is trying to improve key capabilities by 2027 in order to "present Beijing with more credible military choices in the event of a Taiwan situation."
In March, Admiral Philip Davidson, then-head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, predicted that China would attack Taiwan by 2027. However, other analysts remain skeptical. Meanwhile, Milley stated at the Aspen Security Forum on Wednesday that he does not believe China would take military action against Taiwan in the "near future" - within the next two years - but that Beijing is building the capacity.
Moreover, China has likewise concentrated on developing a "lean and effective nuclear force," but their present buildup is "far beyond where they've been previously," according to the US. China has established a "nascent" nuclear triad of air-launched ballistic missiles and surface and sea-launched missiles, akin to the US triad.
This week, the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) released a study concerning three suspected silo fields being built quickly in western China. According to the authors of the FAS research, Matt Korda and Hans M. Kristensen, the silo fields are still years away from being operational, but they might someday be capable of firing long-range nuclear missiles.
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