Amidst the nuclear dispute between the US and Russia, the Pentagon has turned its attention to China’s warheads.
While military and security interactions between the US and Russia over various nuclear weapons issues have become increasingly complex, a newly released report by the Pentagon about China’s military capabilities and the near-term outlook for the country’s armament development signals a dangerous military rivalry among the three countries in the future of global military and armament movements.
China, which currently possesses more than four hundred active nuclear warheads, is on a developmental path that will nearly quadruple this number by 2035. In terms of the quality and power of nuclear warheads, China, according to the Pentagon report, is planning to innovate in warhead technologies and compete in this arena with the US and Russia. Naturally, intelligence and technology espionage, as well as data and technology theft in this area, will be a priority for China.
China’s military is also advancing in missile capabilities, having recently broken records for its ballistic missile tests. China’s military nuclear capability will further increase in the near future with the expansion of the country’s air force capabilities.