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China's military buildup ‘threat’ to American security, warns Pentagon report
The Pentagon report said that despite slow production, Chinese army is on track to produce over 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2023.
A recent report released by the Pentagon or Department of War has warned that China's “historic military buildup” has made the US homeland “increasingly vulnerable.”
Pentagon released an annual report on military and security developments relating to the People’s Republic of China. It also highlights President Donald Trump's plans for new limitations on US, Chinese and Russian nuclear arsenals.
The report states that China's People's Liberation Army is a key component in China's ambitions to “displace the United States as the world’s most powerful nation.”
It said that China's military strategy focuses on overcoming the US through a “whole-of-nation” mobilising effort by Beijing.
The report was published as a part of a congressionally mandated annual report. This is the first version issued during the second Trump administration.
China to produce over 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2023
The Pentagon report mentioned China's growing arsenal of nuclear, long-range strike, cyber and space capabilities, which can “threaten Americans' security.”
It claimed that China's nuclear warhead stockpile was in the low 600s through 2024, reflecting a slower rate of production. However, despite slow production, the report said the Chinese army is on track to produce over 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2023.
China is learning from Russian setback
The report also notes that the Chinese military is increasingly sophisticated and resilient, taking lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war as it increases pressure on Taiwan.
It said that while Russia and China have deepened their strategic partnership, it is driven by the shared interest “in countering the United States.”
As per the report, despite continued growth in their relationship, "Beijing and Moscow remain unwilling to establish a formal defence alliance.” This is due to the mutual distrust of each other, it said.
The report revealed that China likely has more than 100 solid-fueled DF-31 intercontinental ballistic missiles loaded into its three silo fields in the north. A move likely intended to enhance China's counterstrike abilities.
Also read: US, Japan & China: New configuration on Taiwan | Hindustan Times
China's Foreign Ministry's reaction
A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry reportedly refused to comment on the missiles and other details.
Lin Jian, deputy director of the Information Department of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, accused the US of creating a “pretext for speeding up the upgrade of US nuclear power and disrupting global strategic stability,” Bloomberg reported. He also urged Washington to make “drastic and substantive cuts” to its own nuclear arsenal.
The December 2024 edition of the report named China as the only competitor of the US with "intent and increasingly, the capacity to reshape the international order.”
