Pentagon report reveals China nearly tripled its nuclear arsenal since 2020

China has nearly tripled its nuclear warhead stockpile since 2020, according to the Pentagon's latest report on China’s military power, released on December 17.

"DoD estimates the PRC has surpassed 600 operational nuclear warheads as of mid-2024," a senior US defence official informed reporters this week, Caliber.Az reports referencing foreign media.

In 2020, the Pentagon estimated China’s nuclear arsenal at just over 200 warheads.

"The PLA continues its rapid nuclear buildup," the official stated, referring to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and noted that China is on track to exceed 1,000 warheads by 2030.

The official also highlighted China's increasing diversification in its nuclear weapons development.

"When you look at what they’re trying to build here, it's a diversified nuclear force. They are developing systems ranging from low-yield precision strike missiles to ICBMs, with various options across the escalation ladder—this is a shift from their traditional approach," the official explained.

Although China's nuclear arsenal is still far smaller than those of the US and Russia, it is part of a broader strategy to expand its global influence, the official added.

"The PRC seeks to amass national power to achieve what Xi Jinping has referred to as the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation by 2049 and to revise the international order in support of the PRC system of government and its national interests," the official remarked.

Despite economic setbacks and corruption issues, China's military is also modernizing its non-nuclear capabilities, according to the report.

"They are showing interest in developing a new conventional ICBM that could strike Hawaii, Alaska, and the continental United States. This is partly to address what they've seen as a long-standing asymmetry in the US’s ability to conduct conventional strikes against the PRC, as well as their own previous inability to reach US territory with anything but nuclear or ballistic missiles," the official noted.

The report also highlights China's growing willingness to use military coercion to advance its objectives.

"Throughout 2023, the PRC escalated tensions with the Philippines in the South China Sea by ramming and boarding vessels headed to supply the Second Thomas Shoal. The PRC also intensified its diplomatic, political, and military pressure against Taiwan in 2023 and into this year," the senior defence official said.

However, the PLA has also acknowledged some weaknesses within its ranks, particularly regarding leadership strength.

"The PLA continues to highlight the 'five incapables,' a slogan referring to some commanders who are seen as incapable of judging situations, understanding higher authorities' intentions, making operational decisions, deploying forces, or managing unexpected situations," the defence official explained.

Despite these challenges, the US military regards China as its top "pacing challenge."

"Our National Security Strategy identifies the PRC as the only competitor with both the intent and increasingly the capability to reshape the international order," the official concluded.

By Tamilla Hasanova