What's New
China now possesses over 600 operational nuclear warheads, the Pentagon reported on Wednesday, about 100 more than last year's estimate. This enables China to target more cities, military facilities, and leadership sites in the United States than ever before.
Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email.
Why It Matters
China is viewed by the U.S. military as a major challenge. Beijing is continuing its rapid nuclear expansion with the aim of fielding a "world-class" military by 2049 that can "resolutely safeguard" the country's sovereignty, security, and development interests.
The Pentagon's report on Chinese military power comes after Beijing test-launched a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in September.
China called for nuclear-armed nations to make a declaration on no-first-use of nukes in October.
What To Know
The Pentagon estimated that China will have over 1,000 nuclear warheads in operation by 2030, many of which "will be deployed at higher readiness levels," and will continue growing its nuclear force until 2035 to ensure military modernization is "basically complete."
According to the U.S. Energy Department, America's nuclear arsenal consisted of 3,748 warheads as of last year, including those that are ready for use and non-operational. This is 20 fewer than the previous year as the department continued to dismantle retired warheads.
It is also assessed that China seeks to have the capability of inflicting far greater levels of "overwhelming damage" to an adversary in a nuclear exchange, as well as engaging in multiple rounds of counterstrike through more discriminate forms of nuclear employment.
China has 550 launchers for 400 ICBMs, which are both 50 more than last year's estimate. Those launchers include the 320 silos in three new northern silo fields and the silos being built in China's southeastern mountains, the Federation of American Scientists explained.
In comparison, the U.S. military has 450 silos with Minuteman III ICBMs, including 400 silos loaded with deployed nuclear missiles and another 50 silos reserved for stored missiles.
An ICBM is a missile capable of striking targets more than 5,500 kilometers (3,400 miles) away. The report said all the Chinese ICBMs can reach CONUS (contiguous United States). The distance between the two nations' capitals, Beijing and Washington, D.C., is 6,900 miles.
What People Are Saying
A senior U.S. defense official said during a briefing on Monday: "When you look at what they're trying to build here, it's a diversified nuclear force that would be comprised of systems ranging from low yield, precision strike missiles, all the way up to ICBMs with different options at basically every rung on the escalation ladder, which is a lot different than what they've relied on traditionally."
Tom Shugart, former U.S. Navy submariner and adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, said on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday: "With 400 ICBMs China now has as many as the U.S.'s 400 deployed Minuteman III's—a situation I could scarcely have imagined just a few years ago when China's inventory was in the dozens, not 100s."
What Happens Next
Beijing is likely to continue its nuclear expansion as it has stopped engaging in arms control talks with Washington. Meanwhile, the U.S. is modernizing its nuclear force to counter two strategic competitors, China and Russia, that have large and growing nuclear arsenals.
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