China’s growing arsenal prompts Pentagon to reassess nuclear plans, official says

The Pentagon has signaled the need for a comprehensive reassessment of the United States’ nuclear posture in light of China’s rapid buildup of strategic weapons, US officials say.

Elbridge Colby, Under Secretary of War for Policy, outlined the concerns during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. He emphasized that China’s growing capabilities could bring the two nations close to nuclear parity, prompting a fundamental reevaluation of US strategy.

Elbridge Colby said that, at the senior leadership level of the Department, they fully agreed that the situation with two near-peer competitors—or the potential achievement of nuclear parity by China in the near future—required a fundamental rethinking.

By Vafa Guliyeva